Kitten is Angry
by ChellyBellyBeanBag
Summary: "The Phantomhive Manor can be a dangerous place...even for halfbreeds like you."..."Is that a threat Mister Michaelis?"..."Time will tell little one." REVISION COMPLETED MY MUFFINS! Please point out any mistakes!
1. Oxymoron

Author's Note: Okies. My new beginning for Kitten is Angry. Finishing this first chapter is going to be quite a relief for me. .! Here we go! I will try my best but there might not be very much Ivy in the first chapter. Not really much to say other than that I hope I can keep it interesting and that nobody abandons me while I make my changes. Oh and of course a lot of my original material is going to be used…just differently. Jamming to Robin Thicke's 'When I get you alone' while I mull over a few kinks. I'll be right with you soon. Go. Read. Love. Enjoy. Love me. Review. CIAO! :D!

Disclaimer: Square one. I do not own kuroshitsuji or any character that lives in the kuroverse…except for my OC and nobody really cares about Ocs so whatewa. Now on to the readie readie. *vanishes with cape because its late and I'm lame*

**Chapter One: Oxymoron**

"_First deserve, then desire." - _Unknown Proverb

"Father…do you not remember your promise to me?" A young man who appeared around the age of twenty six or so asked the older male beside him. The two of them sitting in a dark room. He simply stroked his chin at his son's words with the slightest of grins tugging at his lips knowingly.

"Ah, it _is _about that time, isn't it?"

"Yes." This was all the young male responded to the dead panned statement.

"Very well then. The search is to begin once you can get together a decent group." The subtle mock in his voice made the youth bristle. Neither of them bothered to make eye contact with the other. His teeth -slightly pointed- gritted together as he calmly responded.

"Yes, father…_thank you_." Such a statement hurt his teeth. However he needed to give his progenitor no excuse to accuse him of being defiant…for now. The approval was needed for this particular search and it needed to kept under wraps from the others. It would be difficult to do this without the best of the best however they were of far too high a profile amongst the clan. In any case this was his priority.

He always got what he wanted, and this would be no exception. Nobody humiliated him in such a manner as that insult to his name all those years ago, never mind being allowed to get away with it for so long. He was not going to start making exceptions now.

…..

Since the day in which that unforgettable contract had been sealed between boy and unlikely butler, Ciel Phantomhive had refused to hire anybody into his manor. Only an elite group of three skilled killers/weapons had been selected and rounded up for his use when it was clear that such a thing would be necessary. Maylene, Bard, and the young Finnian. Them, including Mr. Tanaka…and the demon Sebastian made up the Phantomhive household. Never was another hand needed…even if skilled weapons often made lousy housekeepers.

Though one would assume that only a gaggle of five servants managing a whole manor might have been rather odd, it had been fairly simple keeping attention off of themselves in spite of it. No questions were asked. It was a good thing. Any individuals that could potentially turn up looking for work were to be immediately turned away. Simple enough. It took a bold soul to step onto Phantomhive manor grounds without sending word ahead. Most requests for work came through the mail. The boldest were normally male servants, females of the servant class -maids- had been taught from birth to be seen and not heard and often had been cowed by now into a timid shadow. They would never dare cause a stir.

So honestly the idea of finding a strange girl handing out her credentials on the extravagant front steps of this manor was absolutely ludicrous. Most of all Sebastian Michaelis was dumbfounded that he had not even noticed an intrusion on the property in the first place. Immediately this called for a careful scrutiny the moment he looked at her. She -like most maids- held the detestable air of timidity about her. She wore a plain, old, navy blue bonnet with rebellious wisps of black hair escaping from its confinement around her rather pale face. Shielding her from the late autumn cold was naught but a dark gray buttoned down coat that seemed a tad small on her already slender frame. In her free hand was a worn old leather hand bag, its handles were starting to fray where they met the fabric of her sorry excuse for a valise. On her feet she wore old looking leather shoes whose heels were nearly worn completely away by now.

The only thing notable about her -due to their contrast to the rest of her dull, dreary, colorless appearance- other than the fact that she looked like an unfortunate refugee- was the expressive green colored eyes that did not at all stare in anything other than suspicion at him as if catching an unsightly scent of some sort the moment he opened the door. They gave her the illusion of a defeated nymph.

He frowned and raised an eyebrow at her. When she had spoken she had used her voice softly, as though if she spoke too loudly that a trap door would open up under her and send her plummeting into the pits of hell. Tempting as it was to roll his eyes at her, protocol was necessary. He did not take the paper from her hands and only stated very curtly.

"It is quite rude to come to call without giving a single letter of word in advance." He made sure to put across the reprimand. Normally such a thing turned such girls into a nervous stuttering mess. Instead she winced at his tone, regarding him carefully as if testing water. Eventually she shut her eyes calmly and nodded before speaking up again.

"I understand, but you see it was impossible under the circumstances, good sir. I only wish to hand out my credentials, perhaps you would be kind enough to refer me somewhere if not here. I simply thought that since the Phantomhive manor does seem rather under-staffed that I might be of-"

"What gave you that idea?" The disinterested interruption made her blink slightly.

"Well…honestly it is difficult to conceal from guests the fact that one has only a literal handful of servants for such a large manor, sir. Word spreads quickly. I was referred here by a social acquaintance of the Earl's whilst searching for-"

"No help is needed and apologies but the Phantomhive manor is not an unemployment center." He eyed her appearance, causing her to look down and clear her throat in embarrassment, clasping her hands.

"I suppose I have not been entirely forthcoming… you see city orphanages do not offer respectable attire for their ex-wards. We do the best we can. Please do not misunderstand my withholding of such information, it is difficult for an orphan to find employment as people have a sort of…mistrust toward the parentless wards of the government." Her free hand awkwardly smoothed her sad looking coat. Ah, clearly she was no maid. A presumptuous, overly ambitious street urchin perhaps. Still that did not explain how nobody had detected her.

"How precisely, did you manage to get onto the grounds undeterred?" He inquired. Just one last question before he turned her away. She frowned in puzzlement before blinking and pursing her lips.

"The gate was open, and well…in a manor with so little household members it should not come to such a surprise that nobody noticed."

"Open." He dead panned skeptically.

"Well it…-it did not give _me_ any trouble." She shrugged. Silence. Her presence held a strange vibe to it. Something familiar yet not at all the same. The butler could not call it hostile but…still.

"Indeed. Well then, as I said we have no need for any extra hands. Please see yourself off the grounds." To his annoyance she spoke again. His schedule was going to suffer because of her stubbornness. Stubborn and timid in the same sentence. An oxymoron if he had ever encountered one.

"Just a quick questi-"

"Please. I am on a rather pressing schedule, miss." Honestly any questions she may have had were not his problem. All the demon wanted was to send this girl off.

"Certainly, sir. I only w-"

"There is nothing to discuss. Good day." She gave a soft huff.

"…Can I not j-?"

"I would really rather not escort you myself." He warned, getting more irate with every attempt at speech. At this something in her gaze softened and she moved away.

"A-…apologies. I should have already left, good afternoon." With a hurried dip of a curtsy she scurried off rather nervously. Red eyes watched her suspiciously before shutting the door. Security would have to be much tighter around here.

….

Ciel placed down a newspaper on his desk with a frown as he pondered. The headline read plain as day…

_Country Orphanages Terrorized_

Orphanages? This was indeed interesting. Along with the paper he had also received the normal slew of mail. With this came a letter from her majesty the queen demanding that he look into this matter. The threat of the disappearance and or destruction of children was always a matter that wrenched at her majesty's heart. What truly interested the young master of Phantomhive however was the accounts. People said the subjects from all the orphanages that were hit behaved as though everything was fine, even though they had no recollection of anything in their lives. As though somebody had carelessly wiped their memories in a hurry. Nobody had even been killed.

The twelve year old boy pursed his lips in thought as he sipped his tea. So…somebody was going from orphanage to orphanage in the country side. Now why would that be? He had every reason to believe that this threat was supernatural. It seemed that he would be headed for the country side soon. He would have to alert Sebastian about this.

Looking nowhere in particular he called out to his servant calmly. "Sebastian." As expected, he was there to respond in no time. The boy never bothered to question how he managed such a thing. He was a demon after all.

"Yes, my lord?" The butler's familiar voice inquired from beside the large mahogany desk that seemed to dwarf the small boy. In response the boy tossed the received information to his butler. Scotland yard either had close to no information on the subject, or they were purposely leaving things out. One would assume the Commissioner Lord Randall would have learned by now that if he wanted to avoid a visit from the Queen's Watchdog, he would have to send out _all _information.

"The details on this police report are close to nothing. I'm afraid we must take precautions and visit the yard in person to check it out." His single ocean blue eye stared coldly ahead now.

"Orphanages indeed." Sebastian raised an eyebrow with a hum. Placing the paper down he looked back at his seated little master. "I shall make preparations for our visit right away. When do you command we leave?"

There was a moment of silence as Ciel Phantomhive looked up at his dutiful butler. "Immediately."

"Understood." Ah, children were always such impatient creatures. No matter.

…..

"Liam take the counter for a bit while I take this call, will ye?" An old man with pure white hair and a scruffy beard smiled at his youthful son. A handsome young man at the age of twenty. He had hair the color of deep ginger and the most devastating baby blue eyes that held the warmth and happiness of a well cared for and loved child, and a smile that made even the meanest shrew out there feverish and giggly. The boy nodded without hesitation. Just a routine day at the workplace.

"Of course papa." he smiled back, speaking in an airy Irish accent. The old father nodded his approval before heading off for the telephone that was ringing off the hook. Liam looked around at his family's little bakery fondly. One day he would be happy to take over this place. He heard the familiar pattering of little shoes behind him and looked over his shoulder.

"Cassie, are the Danishes already iced?" he asked his little sister. A small red haired girl with freckles stood beside her big brother. Probably around the age of nine. She pouted slightly.

" I want to help with the people." she told him honestly. He sighed and rolled his eyes to himself.

"Go help mummy in the back, you're still too young alright firefly?" he told her patiently. Ah the joys of sibling bonding. She folded her arms and glared at him stubbornly. He looked at her. There was a staring competition. She was not going to let up anytime soon. Liam could not handle this and customers at the same time. The older brother let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. How about you help frost these cupcakes at the counter, you remember how I taught you right?" he asked. The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Wonderful. If you need anything tell me alright?" he smiled.

"Alright." was all that she answered as she picked up the bag of icing with all the eagerness of a child. Liam watched her for a second with a chuckle before tending back to the counter. It was basically the same as any other old day. One customer after another. Orders here, shipments there. Not to mention money counting. Yes a lot of that.

He was once again getting into the swing of the day as he helped Cassie decorate a very important wedding cake for a rich noble couple. That was when he looked up and had his breath stolen. There was a girl. Not particularly well dressed but everybody fell on such hard times around the area. Still, she had a measure of…_something _about her. His father noted his son's expression and smiled knowingly with a shake of his head. "Oi Liam. Help that young girl out will ye?" he could have done it himself but he knew what it was to be young.

"Um yes, Papa." he nodded and hurriedly went over to the counter. She looked left and right then straight at him. He managed a friendly smile and a nod as she made her way over. "Wow…" he breathed under his breath as she smiled back at him, her eye catching green eyes lighting up. There was a certain light about her that he could not put his finger on. She emanated a vibe that seemed to say 'come hither' sweetly and secretively.

"Hello." she spoke placing her hands on the counter absently. She had a friendly smile on her face yet seemed to be distracted by her own thoughts.

"Hallo." he nodded back. "What can I help ye with Miss?" he asked dutifully. She pursed her lips with a shy nod.

"I am currently looking for work. You see I must be honest. I was recently removed from an orphanage quite a way from here- Bedfordshire all girls-"

"Bedfordshire?" he asked with a start. "That _is _out of the way." He was astounded. How on earth had she gotten there in one piece was beyond him. Such a small girl with clearly little to her name. "Why on earth would you want to leave so far from that place?" The young Irish man was genuinely curious. The girl before him visibly deflated.

"I have my reasons, however it is quite personal. It is difficult for an orphan to find work anywhere other than at a work house of some sort which is the almost exactly like slavery…most would rather die, myself included." she explained apologetically. He quickly nodded in understanding. Now it was his turn to deflate.

"I'm sorry but times are too hard for us to hire on somebody else, my father simply can't afford to pay anybody else." he explained to her, genuinely sorry that they couldn't hire her. It would be nice to have her working with him. After all by what he read she seemed fairly qualified. That he knew of. She nodded with complete understanding of the situation. "Well…if you like I could look around and help you to find something." he proposed. She smiled appreciatively.

"My brother thinks you're lovely." Cassie popped into the conversation, making the Irishman nearly pass out from embarrassment. He snatched her up and covered her mouth. "Cassie." he scolded. She struggled. "Oh keep licking my hand, it doesn't matter to me." he responded to the unhygienic action, rolling his eyes. The girl at the counter giggled and he turned red.

"Who is this?" she asked curiously tilting her head at the little girl.

"I'm Cassie!" the girl managed to get away. "And I think you're lovely too." she smiled brightly.

"Well thank you Cassie, my name is Ivy." The maid held out her hand over the counter to shake the little girl's hand. Cassie took it with a professional air that made Ivy have to smile to herself. Liam ran a hand through his hair awkwardly.

"Well since we are having introductions, I suppose I should tell you that my name is Liam." he held out his own hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Liam." Ivy smiled with a knowing nod. He really was a sweet guy. His presence was nothing but gentleness and breeziness with warmth mixed in. She shook his hand. "I should be going. If I need any help I will come back here and let you know." She assured with a nod. Then she was off. Liam let out a long breath as he watched her leave. He and his sister went back to the cake. He let out another distracted breath as he iced the cake. Or he thought it was the cake.

"HEEYY! PAY ATTENTION YOU GOOSE! I'M NOT A CAKE!" Cassie screamed at her brother as he got chocolate in her hair. Liam jumped and put down the icing. "Daddy! Liam frosted my head!" she protested stomping to the back.

"It was an accident Cassie! Stop being dramatic! Here let me clean it." he followed after her. Unfortunately for Cassie the idea of her brother cleaning out sticky sugar from her hair did not sound like a good idea.

"No! You don't know how to do it! Only Mummy!" she ran now. He chased after her.

…..

"We will be looking at these orphanages first." Ciel murmured. Country orphanages. Hmmm. It was best to start at the very beginning naturally. Whoever it was, was clearly involved with the supernatural to be able to wipe a memory so effectively. However, what could they possibly want with children? If it even had anything to do with children considering no children had gone missing. Perhaps they were searching for something specific. He pushed the list toward his butler. The first orphanages to be hit by this…_being, _were all set neatly on paper in alphabetical order. Sebastian looked it over critically.

"These are all quite a distance from here." he stated. Ciel grunted indifferently. As if it made a difference to him. He stroked his chin in thought. What would you want with an orphanage if kidnapping children for whatever reason was not an option? No trafficking. No human sacrifices. What was this about then? "It would be unwise to make a trip at the last minute that is liable to keep the young master up past his bedtime." Sebastian teased the young boy. Ciel narrowed a single ocean blue eye at him. Damn demon. Ruining the earl's train of thought with his mirth.

"If it's an order, then you can do it." was all that he replied. He would ignore his pride for the sake of spite. Sebastian smirked knowingly, further infuriating the young earl. There was no peace living with this creature. Then again his life seemed to have never been meant for peace did it? Now he smirked to himself wryly.

"Yes, my lord." The butler bowed at the waist. Things were starting to pick up again. Getting away from these servants for a bit would be good for the demon's health. Even he had to admit to that. As if set off by that idea alone an explosion was heard from the silent office. Ciel said nothing, settling for a very pleased, evil grin at his servant's misery. Sebastian deflated and made a very displeased sound before placing the tea tray he had set before the young Phantomhive down. "When do we do this precisely?" he asked. He needed to make preparations.

Ciel sipped his tea smugly. "Tomorrow morning of course." he smirked over the porcelain rip of his cup. Sebastian blinked at him almost looking stunned. So then everything would have to be last minute. That bra-…never mind. He simmered down. He could handle anything. He was still one hell of a butler and not even such a rude young master could change that. What could he do if he could not deal with this? It was nothing. Still he could not help but twitch when he heard two girls scream. Ciel scoffed. "What are you still doing here? Go and look into the scenario." he murmured.

"Yes, my lord." He complied. Somebody was going to get it.

* * *

Author's Note: I suggest nobody read on from here as I am revising at the moment and you WILL get confused beyond all hell. Ugh I'm used to writing much longer chapters, but I am not sure what else I could put in here without rushing things along too much. Yes. I _am_ using material from the deleted beginning chapters because I have some good stuff in there. It will just be introduced differently lolz. That is all for now. Ciao!


	2. The Runaround

Author's Note: Wow. I am loving this already. Nothing like new equipment to get the creative juices flowing. So chapter two then huh? Lets see what I can do here. Onto picking and choosing fragments. Ugh. Oh joy oh happy day. My brain fracking hurts .! Good news though…more Ivy in this chappie…but no Sebby/Ivy interaction. U_U. Onward. I'm in no mood for long author's notes or randomness. Lets do this thang.

Disclaimer: Um….today I was late putting up the disclaimer and Ciel held a gun to my head… I have now come to realize that things around here and cakes and tea SO LONG as I do as I am told. In fact I'm in big shit if I don't finish…he really wants to get this over with it seems. It's like the fucking stepford wives over here folks .…Sebby may be supervising me as I type this very disclaimer out. .. I want to go sit with Tanaka now.

**Chapter Two: The Runaround**

_"I don't wish to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone." -_Javan

**Flashback: Ivy's POV**

_I lived with my mother Salena Ashcroft, born among a clan of full breeds. A half-ling like me was not to be accepted as a functioning member of our obscure society. Out of respect for my mother's highly esteemed bloodline however, they did not destroy me. I was made to live like the other half-breeds who were born of powerful families. She did tell me about my human father….for the most part. All I knew for sure at that time… was his first name._

_"Mateo." she said. That was what she had told me. Oh I asked questions and the like, but I should have known she would sugar coat reality to protect the happiness of her little child. Me. She used to tell me that he was just an ordinary man with a big heart__. __However, whenever she spoke of him her eyes would take on a glassy hue. As if she were holding back tears. I would wonder, but like all little children I simply did not want my mama to cry. So I would hold my peace. I did innocently ask her why he was not here anymore, but she told me that he died doing some heroic deed before I was born. Wanting so much to believe something about my father I accepted it. In short I was blissfully unaware of my true origins._

_In any case I grew up there. Among 'my kind' because the human world had an even lower chance of accepting somebody like me. It was not an easy life for my mother and I. People hated me. People of all ranks hated me. I was a half breed. Most half breed children were destroyed the moment their existence was discovered, whether they were in the womb or not. To the neko culture a half breed child is regarded as a most inviolable blemish. An abomination. However the children from the higher nobles of the clan are spared out of respect to the family name. Still, rigid rules were set up for my kind. We were like a race of slaves living among free men. As a child my mother shielded me from it...mostly. She cherished me. Our family –The Ashcrofts- were the greatest warriors of our clan. She taught me battle tactics, weaponry, all of her fighting styles, and horseback. She taught me manners and how to carry myself like the finest in nobility. It is perfectly normal to be learning these things at age five and younger for our kind._

_As much as she appreciated my talents and abilities… she was the only one who did. As I grew older it became apparent that I could not stay. My mother could not bring herself to allow that kind of life for me. One night she packed our bags, seeming like she was in a panic…_

_"Mama?" I asked her, rubbing my eyes. "What are you doing?" I was too small and naïve to put two and two together. Being half-human made me susceptible to sleep. I required sleep, so I was groggy and tired like a human. Still I was worried. My mama never looked so worried before. Or so angry. What could possibly make her this way? Rightfully as any child would be…I was frightened. One hand clutched my small nightgown tightly. Her lovely blue-green gaze that I wish I had inherited, met mine._

_"I am packing our bags sweetling. We have to hurry and be very quiet okay?" she told me simply her voice held her usual calming tenderness, but it was with a determined edge that I easily deciphered being around her for so long. Although I nodded, I was not sure how to react to that. I did not like the people where I lived. They were all mean to me, and to my mama. Our own family was embarrassed of us. Then again this place was what I knew. The idea of leaving it was frightening. Humans would never spare me. Not at all. So many mixed feelings filled my being that all I could do was stare and watch my mother as she made quick work of what we would be taking with us. A quick get away meant we would have to part with most of our belongings. Even a child could see that. Finally I conceded not to question my mother's authority._

_"Get dressed." she told me calmly. _

_"Yes, mama." is what I answered her. In the darkness of my room I did as I was told. Outside of my bedroom I could hear my mother shuffling about hurriedly. Murmuring things under her breath. Now that I had made the decision not to worry. I could focus on being happy to get away from all of these awful people. So I managed a small smile despite my fears and worries. What lay ahead did not matter as long as I was not alone. That night we fled to England. I slept through the whole journey in my mother's arms. Warm and safe._

_We reached England and settled in the countryside. There we would be able to find suitable meals without harming anybody or being discovered. My education was continued there. We were happy. For about three years. My mother should have known that they would follow. I think she did, but perhaps she did not expect them to come so soon. The peaceful slumber I was enjoying was rudely interrupted by my mother shaking me awake._

_It was in the middle of the night. I stared up at her wide-eyed. "Shhh." she shushed me soberly. "There's no time for Mama to explain." she whispered quickly. I could hear sounds coming from outside as she paused to listen. "This way." she murmured to herself. She easily scooped me up. _

_"Mama-" I tried to ask what was going on but she interrupted._

_"Don't talk." she shook her head. I was too frightened not to listen to her. She crept soundlessly through the dark house cradling me into her chest protectively. All I focused on were the sounds of her steady breaths. Her heart rate was not quite as steady however and it scared me. Nothing ever scared my mother. She slipped into her bedroom and crept to the window, easily pushing it open. She pushed me onto her back, wrapping my arms around her slender shoulders. "Okay sweetling hold on tight now." she told me. "..and brace yourself." she added in as a precaution. All I could do was nod swiftly and cling tightly. With all the grace of a cat she leapt from the sill, transforming in midair. My fists clung to the scruff of her neck. The night air felt so frigid as it whipped my cotton nightgown._

_There was no pursuit that I could tell as we fled for the forest. My face felt like it was burning from the cold already, and my throat was not better off. As we ran she stopped in front of a river. On the riverbed we covered ourselves in mud, and we swam across it. It would be beneficial to get rid of our scent for the most part. As we climbed up onto the other side, she leapt up into the branches of a large oak. From branch to branch she carried me. Not even a leaf was disturbed by her presence. She took great care not to leave a trace. We ended our journey by sneaking into a barn and nestling into the straw of the wooden loft. "I will be back with something to eat, don't move." she whispered._

_I waited silently for her watching the shapes of the shadows on the roof. I gave them names and counted_ _them to pass the time. I was briefly startled when she returned with three hens, and a loaf of bread. We ate wordlessly that night. The straw pricked me but it was better than sleeping out in the cold. I drifted into a restless sleep. Now and then waking up any new sound that met my ears. I did not know where my mother was taking me. I tried to ask, but no sound came. I found I did not want to make a sound anyway. I was too scared. Slowly I simply allowed myself to drift into a restless sleep, snuggling into my mother's warmth. She guarded me all night._

_It was not as cold the next morning as my mother woke me. My eye-lids felt like led. I don't know how early in the morning it was. The sun was not quite up yet. I was rubbing my eyes to wake myself up although it did not help much. My mother just kept…looking at me. This soft almost mournful look in her eyes. I looked back at her with worry. Why was she so sad? The logic of a nervous child could not decipher what could possibly be happening. The possibilities were so endless that they began to seem ridiculous and paranoid to me. I could trust my mother. When had my mother ever let me down? So then, why did she look so unhappy? I tried to smile at her and she smiled back but it was a sad nostalgic kind of smile. She gave me a set of clothes that she probably had pilfered off of some travelers. I never really got to wondering where they came from at the time. I changed into them obediently._

_"Come Ivy." she stood from her crouch and held out her hand for mine. "We better leave before the folks here wake up." she stated. Silently I took her hand. Once again she lifted me up and bounded off. I woke up quickly upon taking note of the town we had come upon. I felt her squeeze me to her chest as if pained. I looked up at her. _

_"Mama?" I furrowed my brow at her. My voice sounded cracked and sleepy, I did not like it. She dropped down from the tree looking about. Nobody seemed to be out and about just yet. It was still dark out, with the slightest hints of dawn breaking, turning the sky a lighter shade of blue from the black midnight. She seemed to know what she was looking for, with only what could be described as a heavy heart. Soon we came across a large stone building. It looked so foreboding. I shivered. It was there that she told me the truth._

_"You need to know this now. For I might not be able to tell you the truth later." she told me sternly. "You're father was an-…he was a powerful man…" At this she trailed momentarily. "He never knew I was with child." she began. "He did not even know what I was. I could not bring myself to tell him, and when I did, he was afraid of me, and when people are scared they get angry too. We never spoke again, and he eventually fell in love and married someone else." she told me. It was so much for me to take in. I felt dizzy with the information._

_"Listen to me, Ivy Ashcroft." she said as she set me down. "Promise me that you will be the brave girl that I know you are." her voice was a low murmur, but it was firm and encouraging all at once. I frowned at her, starting to panic. When my eyes read the sign I knew what this place was. My fear was brought to life. She was leaving me! Why! What had I done? _

_"Mama-!" but once again she interrupted me._

_"Listen to me." she repeated. "You will be safe here." she handed me a small leather bag. "For as long as you are here nobody is to know who you are. Tell them only what is necessary." I knew later that she had wanted to protect me from our clan. Promise me." she held my little shoulders firmly. I started to cry. _

_"Mama no-!" tears streaked. She began to dry my eyes with her hands softly._

_"Don't cry little one, promise me." she whispered. I whimpered as I nodded. I wanted to be strong for my mother. "Hear this now…As long as I still live I will come back for you. I promise." she held me close. I clung to her sleeves, my little body shaking from tears. I nodded once again. She set me down. Despite the fact that I did not want to let go of her, I did. I forced myself to obey her. It was my duty as a daughter. I wanted to make her proud of me. "You're my girl. My little sweetling, I love you." she stroked my hair. "Be good." she whispered. In the blink of an eye she was gone._

_ I sat on the steps and cried as the full force of loneliness hit me like a wall. I hugged my knees. I remember thinking as I sat alone, not wanting to knock on the door, 'Please come back, mama.'…but she never did._

**End Flashback**

"It's just as they said." Ciel murmured. "The people have had their memories completely erased." Who could be in such a rush? Obviously it had to be somebody who cared little for human beings. Whoever was doing this, they were not human. It was done too quickly. Some orphanages had even been hit at the same time, which the two had readily attributed to there being more than one person involved. What were they after? Analyzing the orphanages in the areas that were or were not hit was their option.

"What is something all of the orphanages that we have been to have in common?" he looked at Sebastian.

"All of the ones that have any girls were the ones touched." he stated. "Where as all boys orphanages were left alone…so…this has something to do with young girls naturally." The butler was working the gears of his mind at the idea. Girls huh?

"Yes. However what would they care if they were girls or not if they are not taking anybody or even any possessions?" Ciel stroked his chin and paced back and forth at the Inn as they looked over files and police reports. "Then again if they were looking for something material…some sort of trinket…it could have easily been wiped from the child's memory like everything else…a necklace perhaps? A doll? Something that little girls carry that might have had some sort of significance?"

"In any case they must be looking for something specific, and if they immediately assume to find it among orphans, they must have known an orphan had acquired it somehow." Sebastian stated. "What exactly that is, is what is to be determined." They felt as if they were getting nowhere. Scotland yard was being absolutely useless as per usual. Either that or simply uncooperative. They always did have a problem with the little Earl making them look like fools.

"They also have quite obviously not found whatever it is they were looking for." The young Early said dryly. The frustration in his tone controlled and channeled into his thought process. The children all seemed untouched. All of the caretakers were without mark as well. Curious thing. Were they looking for an object or a specific person? Well even if it was an object they were after…they had to know who had it if they knew to look in an orphanage and not the houses of families with little daughters in them. There was only one witness who said they had seen figures coming to visit the orphanage as if it were something completely of the norm.

Sebastian seemed to be on the same train of thought because the first thing he said when Ciel gave him a look was "I understand." The boy nodded and they were off again.

"We are not staying. It's useless to tarry here." Ciel stated. "Background checks can be performed much more smoothly back at the manor where we can keep an eye on things." he added in. Sebastian nodded. He could only wonder what disasters had occurred in their absence. A frown took over his features.

As the two of them strode along the cobblestone streets, the bustling masses of London continued about their business not sparing a glance, as was typical of the mortal world. In fact the young master seemed to share their view as a virtue. Each to his own. So long as the world left him alone he felt at peace. The demon walked a pace or so behind the Earl as was customary, watching intently in the same way he always did.

Very suddenly it seemed that the paper boys –or newsies- as they were referred to by most were having a splendid sale day. The crowds circled around them, murmuring like bees in a hive. At first the pair was indifferent to the commotion, then they heard a particular boy's loud cockney bellow call out a very attention-grabbing headline…

"Bedfordshire all girls orphanage completely demolished! Residents massacred! Learn more 'ere!"

Ciel froze in his tracks. His single blue eye hardened as he looked in the direction of the declaration, like a predator surveying the layout of the hunting grounds. "Sebastian…" He murmured, trailing off in thought. Could this perhaps be connected to their case? Either way he would need to look. What was a shilling to the Queen's Watchdog? The butler needed no prompting.

"Yes sir." The both of them pushed through the crowd with the help of their commanding and imposing presences. People seemed to gravitate out of the path of the little noble and his dark and dashing servant.

"I'll take one." Ciel stated in his usual husky, indifferent voice. In his slender gloved hand he held out a bright shiny shilling to the other boy, who seemed to survey him as if unable to quite grasp that this boy was very likely younger than him. A top hat designed like that of a grown man's, a cane made in the same manner...and an eye patch? After two blinks he seemed to notice the impatient eye of his customer and quickly took the offering, planting a big smile back onto his face.

"'Ere you are then sir!" The word felt odd to be saying to such a small child…but what else exactly would you call them? Cheerfully he handed out one of his crisp papers. The strange boy took it without a word and eyed over the contents, walking away as if the paperboy no longer existed…or ever really had. The tall butler gave him a polite nod before following his young master away from the mass of gossipmongers, job seekers, and general news lovers.

The boy gave a business like grunt as he surveyed the appropriate articles. "It seems to fit all of the criteria of the other orphanages and is not that far of a distance from the last place that was hit…though the deed is far more extreme that what was done to the other places. A massacre? What do you make of it, Sebastian?" The paper was pushed casually into the butler's chest as they walked. The dutiful servant took a look on his own, with a thoughtful expression.

"If this is indeed connected, which is a good chance…then it is obvious that something in this odd search has changed…the question is-" He was interrupted by a feminine cry as his arm collided with a small frame, sending a dark-haired girl sprawling nearly down a flight of cobblestone steps before catching her wrist, mildly irritated. Mostly however he found it strange that he hadn't noticed her. Much to his surprise she jerked her arm away as if startled out of her mind. Familiar green eyes wild with the desire to run for a split second before they settled into numb realization. Ah, it was the little urchin trespasser.

He had not recognized her as she was…it appeared that she had somehow acquired a change of clothes. Everything was different save for the bag, the bonnet, and her worn out shoes. Ciel frowned over his shoulder at the spectacle. In her hand she clutched a newspaper with a grip that crinkled the printed material.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked. The girl looked between the two wordlessly as if calculating.

"Perfectly. I'm sorry. I was simply distracted." She speed walked in another direction. Sebastian frowned…either the mortal world really was a small one or she had followed them, all options of which seeming very far-fetched. It was difficult to say whether or not a being posed a threat, especially such a fumbling burned out young girl. She seemed normal enough, but looks could be deceiving.

"Sebastian." Ciel called his butler's attention irritably. "We are pressed for time, are we going to continue this conversation? Your proposal if you please." The butler bowed low apologetically with a gloved hand to his chest.

"Forgive me, my Lord." There was no need to alarm the boy unnecessarily. "As I previously saying before we were momentarily interrupted, if in fact the perpetrator or perpetrators in question are the same beings that we are investigating –as we suspect- then something in their search has indeed changed. We simply do not know what. There is only one place that we can go to have a look for ourselves." The young Earl's eyes closed momentarily as he grunted in response. His gaze turned forward.

"Bedfordshire. I feared such an inconvenience, but I suppose it cannot be helped. We had best make preparations to visit these orphanages and compare the cases. Let's go Sebastian. Tomorrow we head out."

"Of course, young master."

….

What on earth was she doing going back there after everything? It was a terrible idea but she could not believe what she had read in the papers unless she could physically come to terms with it. Back and forth she paced, debating on what her next course of action. She had no money for tickets…but there was no time to walk. This was all her fault. The stress was going to make her sick. This had been the worse week she'd had in years.

If she was seen lurking around here it was bound to get worse. First she had been tossed out of the orphanage without having been notified at least a week or so prior to the day. That old bat had always hated her. Then she proceeded to look for work fruitlessly for weeks. Doors were slammed in her face repeatedly once it was learned that she was an orphan. It also seemed that Ms. Mitzy had spoken quite 'fondly' of her on her off work hours because apparently Ivy -as an individual- already had a set reputation before even meeting any of these folks.

Finding employment in that area had become almost an impossibility. She was forced to move on…but it seemed that foreign towns were not trusting toward travelling folk…never mind travelling _orphan _folk_._ God forbid. She rolled her eyes at the thought wearily. All of them had been rude aside from a few exceptions…a smile crept over her face at the image of a soft, smiling Irishman. None however, had startled her like that uncouth, stiff-legged, sinister, unpleasant ape of a butler. He had oozed snobbery as he eyed her like he'd discovered a maggot on his perfectly polished loafers. He may as well have just refused to give her the time of day.

Her smile faded recalling how he had openly commented on her haggard appearance. Normally she would have snipped in some 'polite-rudeness' of her own right back but something was off. Something in her instinct had her shying away from the first moment he opened that door. His presence, it was so over powering and stifling. It all screamed 'This is a predator…and it is too big for you to handle.' It all It was not her fault that she'd had to move so far without any money to search for employment to get by.

Speaking of which she would have to somehow acquire some money and get going on this damned train. Who would have known that she would have run into the tightly wound, menstrual, cad a second time, and in a completely different location no less. It was rather disturbing in fact for a low profile creature like her, for a second she thought that he might have followed her, but such a thing was ridiculous. She was fairly certain that he would not waste time following her when he obviously had much more 'ideal' ways of spending his time…like stealing candy from small children, tripping grannies down flights of stairs, and tap dancing on homeless cripples.

Either way he was not on her list of priorities at the moment. Especially after hearing about…this. After coming here to see what had become of her old home and its inhabitants. Really she had not missed her life at the dreary, stale 'facility' in the slightest. It was not even all the girls…only a few. The little ones. The little ones that she had taken such pains to watch out for during her unfortunate stay. They were there only days ago…and now…gone…all of them…and it was because of her.

Without another thought she had to get on…to see everything for herself, for the sake of closure. Before she could however, there was a familiar tingle, a new presence. With narrowed eyes she slowly turned her gaze to the left. No. Her face dropped and she immediately looked ahead. Now this was just ridiculous. Twice was a coincidence…but three times…it was time to be paranoid even if she could be wrong. Those cripples would just have to wait it seemed.

There he stood carrying what appeared to be luggage. A small boy stood beside him with a top hat and a cane. An odd pair really and yet strangely compatible in presence and grace. Slowly she slid her right foot out, prepared to slip carefully from their line of vision. Abruptly however the familiar rusty…-brown?- of that…bastard's eyes whipped almost instinctively in her direction. He frowned immediately and Ivy had the feeling that she had better learn to disappear very fast right about then. Her eyes darted nervously about searching for any opportunities, thinking quickly.

….

"Young master…" The demon butler trailed, still keeping his eye on the strange girl who he had caught watching them. It was the same girl. Now he could not ignore the 'coincidences' of noticing her a third time. The boy looked up at his butler with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there a problem?" Sebastian made no physical response. He simply looked at the train as if all was well with the world…but his tone said otherwise.

"Please. Board the train." Ciel frowned at this…request. One could almost call it a command but the Earl of Phantomhive was no fool. He recognized hidden meanings in the glances and tones of his butler. This time it said trouble as usual in this 'line of work'. Without a word spoken he regally stepped into the steam-powered beast as if he had decided so on a casual whim, chin held high as always. Meanwhile the young lady seemed to be in some sort of panic. This only made her more suspicious.

It was odd how she seemed to be making no attempt to run despite the strange spike in that strange vibe of hers. He had felt it and immediately responded by looking in her direction…and there she stood. Surprise evident in her eyes. She looked ready to sprint but refrained for some reason…frozen. A large cart, bearing luggage blocked his view of her for only a second as he took a chance by directly approaching her but once it moved aside she was gone, and he could feel no trace of her. The demon stopped short. It seemed that he had underestimated such a soft-spoken timid little thing.

'Not human.' He thought. 'Certainly not human.' Deeming it unwise to leave the young master alone for much longer, he hurried to board the train. The boy was likely going to grow impatient soon. Looking around once more with a frown, he curtly walked back to the train.

* * *

Author's Note: I just realize that in order to do this damn thing I would have to do an overhaul of editing, cutting and pasting for a good fifteen chapters…AND I have to come up with a new scenario for the encounter with Grell. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! I REALLY screwed myself didn't I? Oh well. If that is what it takes for me to be comfortable with my OC's position than so be it. Even if I get carpal tunnel as a resort. Work here I come! _...CHAAAAAARGE! ***typing furiously as fire and smoke spew from my mac***


	3. Understandable

Authors Note: Chapter tres! Alrighty I hope to say that I am becoming faster…but I doubt it. Ah what to do, what to do. So many changes, so many chapters to touch up. Great. I was so hyped up writing my last chappie too…-_-'… I'm so lazy. Let us continue our little set up in hopes that all of you can enjoy what I have up my sleeves. If not…well then…erm…life goes on? Nothing to say here honestly so lets get to the goods. Ciao!

Disclaimer: Right on time to say that I own nothing of the kuroverse, but if these folks get to be scary…then I get to be an annoying and demanding house-guest. Right, Sebby? Right. ***demon glares at me with a growl while he does my nails* **Um….I think he's going to kill me once this is all over so it was nice knowing all of you… "Ciel I need a favor!" ***runs away***

**Chapter Three: Understandable**

_"If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I." –_Michel de Montaigne

"It is no use…I've lost her trail young Lord." This single statement was enough to set the young leader ablaze. Golden eyes seemed to glow in their livid, piercing expression. He made no worded response other than sharply training his once impassive eyes on the bearer of this bad news. Of all the stupidity he had been forced to endure in his short life as a demon. After the trying days he had been having they had the nerve to tell him this.

"You are all idiots! Can you not find a simple girl in that ridiculously limited mortal realm?" He snapped at the group of hunters.

"Ah, but Lord it was you who-"

"I do not want to hear excuses! Nothing I could have done should have made you incapable of this task despite our target's best efforts. Whether she realized that she was followed or not." He eyed the lot with disgust. "You damn choke artists, you have the nerve to claim to be trained by my father?" He folded his arms impatiently. He growled trying to regain his train of thought. This was why he needed to be allowed to always go with them.

His father constantly summoned him for meaningless tasks that he cared nothing for. It was as if he gave him a difficult time with this on purpose. Well he would make sure he didn't this time. "You realize that my father will blame this incompetence on me, in the same manner that he does everything else do you not?" His golden eyes shined even more dangerously now if that were possible.

"Young Lord. We were simply trying out the obvious places where they were last seen-"

"How many years ago was that?" he snapped at the so-called leader. "Do you take Salena for a fool?"

"I am going to conduct this search as the official head of the party from now on. Where is my father? Take me to him this instant!" he demanded. He had a few things to say to him about this.

"Young-"

-Crack!-

"Do not contradict me now, suddenly I am in a rather foul disposition." he snarled at the fool before him after giving him a swift backhand to the face. "If you know what is good for your health, and value it. Take me to my father. Right. Now." His tone was low and smooth but absolutely deadly.

Before the soldier could even announce the approach of the chief leader's son, the youth burst through the doors with a hiss. "_You blame me for this?" _he shouted angrily. His fists slammed onto the older male's desk. His father remained impassive and unimpressed by the outburst of his spoiled son. What else was new? He had no time for any beating around the bush so he ignored the cracks in the newly polished mahogany wood.

He sat up. "If you have the leadership, then _everything _is your fault, whelp," he stated dryly. The fact that he was not even bothering to look up infuriated his son in itself, but his words were what truly set his blood on fire. How did such a claim even make sense? "Everything. Down to the last scrap of incompetence is your fault and your responsibility." he added in, not regretting a single word. They did not get on very well ever since the day that creature crawled from his mother's womb.

"I beg- leadership father? _Leadership!_" he was losing it fast. "How can this be counted as leadership when you will not even allow me to leave the damn grounds?" he knocked a paperweight off of the desk with venom. The older male pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in annoyance. He was going to kill this brat. He stood up menacingly from his chair.

"You have been slacking off on your duties here. Besides I love to watch your frustration grow to immeasurable lengths with your inability to put together a decent tracking party." He stated simply. The boy fumed. It was his turn to add in his two cents.

"My inability? Yes and it has nothing to do with the fact that you were the one train them, right?" he flipped his long hair. He was suddenly smacked across the face. He fell over and spit blood but got back up as if nothing had happened, except for that much more icy expression that he suddenly wore.

"Are you insulting me, boy? Do you mean to say that you could do better?" he asked.

"Certainly not…I _know_ I could." he responded readily. The defiance in his eyes was clear. The father suddenly laughed loudly after a moment of tense silence. Ah, this little idiot knew so little about what was really happening. All that he saw was his own sick little obsession and that suited the more experienced male just fine. He sat back down and shook his head, continuing to work.

"Very well, very well. I want this done as much as you do. You have my permission to go with them next time, and you better hope that you can manage them as well as you claim." he held up a quill pen in warning. "Be inconspicuous this time remember, we do not need any humans sniffing about….oh and um…do not fail." he added in. The cocky young man chuckled.

"Well finally. I will finish this quick." he breezed out of his father's office ready to get down to business right away. Inconspicuous eh? Well then…he supposed that the old man would have been unhappy to hear about Bedfordshire in that case. He grinned like a child that escaped punishment.

…..

"Yet again another unsuccessful venture on our part." Ciel muttered to himself, eyeing the papers with disdain. He thought to himself silently as Sebastian dutifully served him tea. The local authorities in each town had been dead ends. All of them. How was this even possible? "This girl. You said that she came to the manor… could she perhaps be sent by our 'targets' to keep an eye on our progress? Perhaps she was attempting to infiltrate and gain trust." His blue eye darkened.

The butler hummed in acknowledgment. "That would be a possibility, as we already know that the perpetrators are not human themselves. Perhaps they discovered that their lack of discretion was causing them to be investigated. Other-worldly creatures do have rules of secrecy after all." The porcelain teapot clinked gently as he placed it back into its place on the silver tray. Ciel dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin nonchalantly.

"I suppose that would make her our only lead…though it is a bit of a long shot in the dark."

"Very true. However if we are in fact wrong she will no longer be a problem for us, and if we are right then there will be no need to search her out because she will reappear again eventually. Either way it is rather convenient on our part as we have nothing to lose." The boy now hummed in response to his servant's statement, nodding simply in silent agreement. Placing his cup back onto its saucer, he stood dutifully. Sebastian simply began to put everything away taking the hint that the young master was satiated.

"Well then I believe there is little else we can do. In the meantime, we should return these useless reports back to the police." The twelve-year-old boy carelessly handed the pile of mundane, repetitive information over to his waiting servant. Sebastian took said pile and straightened it out before placing it neatly under the folds of his buttoned up coat.

"Certainly, young master."

…..

Working ones way through towns without leaving a trail was not at all an easy task. Well to be fair if Ivy's pursuers were human and not among the species of the greatest demon trackers: Nekos…_then _it would have been easy. She had needed to wander through the seedier, more obscure parts. Little urchins like her were rarely noticeable around there since there were so many of them. So far she had not drawn any attention to herself and saw it as a good sign. Fortune however, never smiled down on her for very long and today it seemed was the day that her luck was going to run out once again. Damn it.

"Oi! I don't recall ever seeing a bird such as yourself 'round these 'ere parts." He was a great big brute, rather smelly with a smile that was clearly no sign of good intent.

Honestly Ivy was not precisely sure which action would attract less attention: ignoring him or knocking him unconscious? Those were her best options but physically downing a man twice her size was not exactly discreet. Everybody would stare and none would forget. As for ignoring him, she was spectacular at being soundlessly frigid towards others however, it would likely anger such a despicable looking gigantic lout and he would follow her and possibly try to force her to respond which would end in her having to attack him anyway.

In the meantime as her mind worked over these options and possibilities, he frowned at her lack of responsiveness. She turned to gain some distance from him however instead of getting irate he tried to keep his cool. Ah, perhaps he was more clever than she thought. "A lovely thing like you all alone. You are all alone aren't you?" She took that back. What an obvious mugger, slasher, or potential rapist. She rolled her eyes and kept walking. "Now now, its rude to ignore people when they attempt to introduce themselves." He leered. Oh boy.

'Stop trying to get your arse kicked, twat.' She growled internally at him. Why her damn it? Did she honestly look so vulnerable? He followed after her. Great.

"I'm talking to you. You lookin' fer work or not?" Now he was getting angry. Clearly he did not particularly enjoy being completely ignored by somebody who barely reached his chest in stature. Well he certainly knew how to get a desperate lost girl's attention. Still the last thing Ivy was, was stupid enough to listen to any 'job offers' in this part of town. Nothing but work houses and brothels. She knew exactly the sort of thing that was available in these parts for girls like her and she would honestly rather be found dead in a gutter before she did such a thing.

Abruptly, two other men blocked her path and she groaned. Well this was just peachy. Wordlessly she paused before turning around curtly and blatantly walking _around _the brute that had approached her much to his shock. "Oi! I'm being very generous you-!" He gripped her upper arm in an attempt to twist it. Only to have three of his fingers easily pried away and bend back toward his knuckles with a sickening crack arm being forced downward. She'd lost her temper. With a scream he was forced to lurch forward as she proceeded to twist his broken digits in the opposite direction and twisted his arm into the small of his back.

"When one lays his hand on a potential opponent he or she _always _runs the risk of having said appendage turned against them." She repeated her mother's teachings calmly. With a pained groan he tried to swing his other arm to take a swipe at her face only to have his twisted arm pulled further downward as she ducked and thrown into the friends who attempted to come to his aid. One managed to side step the flying mass that was his companion and came at her with a knife fisted in his hand. Ivy stared with flat eyes, easily dodging as she expressionlessly moved backward from his blind attempts on her person. As his arm swung downward a third time she caught his wrist and slammed it into his face making him grunt and lose his grip on the blade.

Gracefully she caught it between her fingers and stabbed him in the thigh making him cry out. The nerve of her choosing immobilized his limb. Now noting that a crowd had gathered to watch the fight, she growled in annoyance before turning back to him. "When attacking with a knife, never hold the blade like some sort of hammer or chisel. It forces you to slash downward and leaves you clumsy and vulnerable." She held the dagger properly between her fingers. "Swiping horizontally or forward is always more efficient and keeps your limbs guarded." People watched her with shock, scandalized.

The third one managed to squirm out from under his large compatriot and attempted to rush her unawares only to have her swing her arm out as she turned, knife glinting. He froze, fearing that she had sliced him across the gut only to panic upon noting that his leather belt had been cut clean through and his trousers nearly fell off. He held them up and attempted to take one last swing at her only for her to grab his wrist and use the broken belt to tie his arm to his foot before throwing him into a near by gutter with a sticky splat in the gunk and mud.

"You should save yourselves the aggravation and find another girl to fill your quota at the whore houses that you will probably never afford." A few street urchins snickered to themselves at the sight.

Ivy assumed that the ridiculous trouble was over and that she could make her way off…that was until the commotion had caused some of the 'more respectable class' to call in the authorities. She had taken a single step away from the scene only to stare down the barrel of shiny revolver. Well that made perfect sense. Pull the gun on the victim why don't you? One of them seemed to have some hold on ethics as he scolded the officers.

"What sort of gentlemen officers have to pull a weapon on a woman?" He turned to her with a disarming smile, still looking rather wary of her either way. He wore a round hat and sported clean-cut facial hair. "I apologize on their behalf…they are quite unnerved by your performance…" Ivy wanted to roll her eyes at all of them. 'Stupid British society and their 'ideals'.' She muttered to herself internally. Feeling rather awkward at her frigid silence he cleared his throat. "I am Aberline. Really I am sorry but we have to take you into custody for disturbing the peace."

Her face dropped. Really? Were they for real? So much for being invisible. Still with all of these people watching she could not very well fight off Scotland yard. If she got shot word would spread like wildfire and her pursuers would certainly catch her up to in no time. Damn iiiiiit! Damn it times infinity! She came very close to throwing a tantrum right there in the street. This…Aberline fellow looked at her beseechingly as if he knew she did not have to let them take her. Ah, if only he knew.

"Please Miss. It will only be for an hour or so, so that we can figure out exactly what happened here." Green eyes narrowed suspiciously and he removed his hat. "You have my word." There was a sigh. Still she said not a word to the officer, she only folded her arms and focused on being soft and demure once more. Her senses were rather good thanks to the family name that she hailed from…and it was plain to see that 'Aberline' was not at all dangerous. In fact he may have easily been called naïve.

"Two hours." Was all that she said in a breathy but stubborn voice.

…..

"As usual you have nothing that I can possibly use for my investigation." Ciel stated crisply as his butler politely handed the reports back to the Commissioner. "Ah, but what can one expect from a tired old hound. I suppose I should be more understanding." The condescending behavior was very much intended. Randall grinded his teeth down at the boy who grinned back up at him smugly.

"It is a shame that we could not be of any help to the Queen's Watchdog." It was blatantly shameless lie. Sebastian stood as dutifully by the boy's side as ever.

"Not at all. I would be unworthy of being called The Queen's Watchdog if I needed the help of Scotland Yard to perform my duties." The little Earl waved off the insincere apology dismissively. Common interaction between Lord Commissioner and Watchdog, what can one do? Honestly if one had a clever enough perception they could tell that Ciel was trying to bait Lord Randall's ego just in case he was attempting to keep something under wraps. 'Preying on the pride of an old man. Tsk tsk, young master.'

The demon's dark eyes took in the surroundings of Lord Randall's office. He had never bothered usually, by chance however, he happened to allow his gaze to wander. Nothing particularly worth notice crossed his gaze. Everything was basically typical of an old Englishman. Then he saw an old looking hairbrush with a rose on the handle and he raised an eyebrow. Why on earth would-? Then right beside it he caught sight of a familiar worn out little handle bag. Frayed handles, a paper or two exposed from the leathery confines, and a drab…gray…button up coat folded snugly inside with it. He blinked curiously.

Before he could take a breath to comment or attempt to discreetly get the young master's attention, the doors were opened and a tired officer with rolled up sleeves stepped in. "Lord Commissioner I am very sorry to disturb you, but you have not by chance seen Inspector Aberline have you?" The elder man raised an eyebrow.

"I've sent him on an errand."

"Ah. Well the urchin we had to bring in before –the one who caused all the trouble on East end today- she is being completely uncooperative. One of our officers got into a bit of a row with her over a bonnet and now she refuses to speak to anybody besides Aberline. I've tried to reason with her but she makes no response other than to ask for the time." The old officer sighed.

Ciel tilted his head and grinned. "Having trouble with the rabble, Lord Randall? I'm surprised at you." He mused.

"Not at all. A simple street fight apparently caused a stir. A trivial matter really. I highly doubt that such a quiet wisp of a girl could have done very much to cause such a commotion, so I will not concern myself with this. London has far greater problems to absolve." The Commissioner scoffed haughtily.

"If I may be so bold as to inquire…would that valise over there happen to belong to the young lady in question?" Sebastian inquired with a knowing grin. Ciel looked at his butler pensively as if attempting to calculate just what his servant could have been thinking. Randall frowned at the tall servant then at his little master who nodded for him to respond. A strange dynamic the two of them had.

"Yes. Are you familiar with the girl, Earl Phantomhive?" The boy exchanged a glance with his butler and it appeared that they had reached an understanding of some sort. Sebastian grinned to himself. What a coincidence…a small world indeed.

"Not personally no." The boy remarked dismissively. "However, I am afraid that my butler and I will have to impound your… 'guest' for my _own _questioning purposes." He stated. What on earth had been said in that wordless gaze between master and servant? Randall's aged eyes narrowed at the pair.

"You assume you can do better with her than the whole of Scotland Yard?" He folded his arms and stared down his nose that the presumptuous child. Oh bother, it appeared as though he were bent on being difficult once again. The young Earl sighed in annoyance before grinning to himself rather snidely as he always when he had the upper hand on others…which was actually very often.

"Actually I _know_ I can." Randall was prepared to voice his outrage but Ciel had not quite made his point yet. "You must also keep in mind that her majesty the Queen has me on this errand. I am perfectly prepared to refer you to take it up with her if you are still hell bent on being so particular." English society: Only they could be openly rude to each other in such a passive aggressive manner. Randall was close to bearing his teeth and snarling like a beast but could say nothing to contradict the child's statement.

"Right, and how precisely do you suppose you will get her to cooperate with _you_?" He huffed. Ciel looked to Sebastian expectantly as the faithful servant stepped forward.

"Allow me to persuade her." A butler's work was never over. Randall eyed the butler critically down to his disarming -and strangely unnerving all at once- smile. With narrowed eyes and a defeated expression he turned to the officer who was now standing awkwardly off to the side, giving a gruff nod. The young bobby looked at the butler and nodded in acknowledgment.

"This way." He said with a motion of his arm. This was probably one of the most unorthodox things he had seen the commissioner agree to but he was not about to argue from what he had just witnessed.

"Is your butler trained for this sort of thing?"

"Sebastian has a way with people that you couldn't hope to grasp, I'm afraid asking questions will get you nowhere."

….

Ivy's fingernails were dirty. She frowned at them. Being dirty or grimy all the time… she would never get used to it. A sigh escaped her lips for what felt like the thousandth time. Did they not have a clock in here on purpose? Ivy had years of practice when it came to stubbornly keeping silent. As a child she could be quite frigid.

Soon enough they would not be able to keep her there any longer…er well _attempt _to keep her there. She really could leave whenever she felt it suited her. However, her and that…Uberlin…Alkaline…-Whatever the hell the nice bastard's name was!- had an agreement after all. Two hours and she would not go back on her word. However she would not stay any longer than agreed whether he was here or not.

The young lady attempted to look on the bright side… but really nothing came to mind. Her gaze flitted to the sole exit from the room wondering how long it had been since someone had been in there with her. Perhaps they were frustrated enough to give up by now? Such a thing was not likely yet she could feel no presences drawing near to the door.

A moment later, as if some hostile deity of fate out there had read her thoughts, something rolled into her scope. It threw her off. How could anybody feel so wretched and menacing and still walk among these average, calm, perfectly normal auras? No human could make her feel so…_dreadful. _Ivy doubted that anything could make her feel any worse about that looming aura coming closer. 'Craaaaaaaaaap…'.

Then the door opened.

She nearly fell from her chair but maintained her dignity, eyes widening a fraction. A shock of black hair, and dark rust like eyes that she had honestly hoped she would not have seen a fourth time. "…." Poker face. She had nothing to say to him. Instead she instantly looked at the wall to her left, ready to run like hell promise or not if her suspicions about this…'man' were correct. He tilted his head at her soundlessness. When the officer left and shut the door she shifted her foot slightly ready to stand and bolt.

"I would not do that." He finally spoke up. The little creature stopped moving and now stared flatly up at him from her lone seat. "I see they've taken your coat, ah and they've not even felt the need to bind you, what polite treatment for a lady." There was a moment of silence. "All pretenses aside, why _are _you still here?" His expression became serious now. For a moment her gaze flitted down to his vest before back at him.

"What exactly is the time?" She spoke softly, awkwardly wringing her hands. Raising an eyebrow he tugged on his albert to take a look at his pocket watch. Ivy took the opportunity to shift her footing into the perfect angle for a spring toward the door if need be. He looked back at her.

"Ten minutes past one o' clock." Ivy wondered for a moment whether he noticed her shift in position and just decided to ignore it. "Answer if you please." Gloved hands clasped curtly behind his back. He was not human, she had already deciphered that much and apparently he knew that neither was she. What on earth was he? There were so many creatures in existence that an infantile halfling like her had yet to encounter. Which one could he be? Certainly nothing pleasant. Then again neither was she. After assessing him briefly she concluded that she could wait five more minutes before taking her leave.

"What are _you _doing here, oh dutiful, and mighty gatekeeper? Should you not be home defending the realm from the threat of menacing seventeen year old orphan girls?" She uttered sarcastically as she blew a strand of hair from her face. He frowned. Well, she was certainly not behaving as he had remembered. So it had been a façade after all.

"Passive aggression will not divert this conversation else where, little one. Clearly you do not have to be here, so why are you here? Is there something specific you need?" Well somebody was a stubborn panda this afternoon. Ivy would have said this aloud had his aura not suddenly seemed so much larger now. Still she was not ready to be a friendly panda just yet.

"How about _open_ aggression?"

"Are you stalling?"

"What is there to stall?" Sebastian tried not to be too amused at how she was attempting to lead the conversation in circles and get information for herself at the same time. "Have I done something to merit your sudden interest in my meager affairs?" The demon scoffed at the funny little creature seated before him.

"Well one does have room to become curious when it seems that one's young master is being watched." At this Ivy blinked in puzzlement, looking at him fully in the eye for the first time. He must have done it on purpose because once she caught his gaze with her own she faltered in mild apprehension. Watched? What? Was he insinuating that she…?

"Ooooh. Wait a moment, you think I-? Oh no you couldn't possibly- I suppose that means you haven't been- Oh ho ho ho no." She waved her hands back in forth with an awkward laugh as if denying an absurd thought or concept. "I believe there has been some misunderstanding Mister..." Shit what was his name?

"Michaelis." He responded. Clearly if she had been sent to keep an eye she would have already known his name. His name made her raise an eyebrow at him. An ancient Latin name in England? 'Who the hell named you that?' She thought to herself. He certainly could not be from around here.

"I hope to God for your sake that, that is not your first name." She bluntly stated, keeping a snicker at bay. His expression darkened and she smothered her snicker in a cough from nervousness. He continued to stare in silence. "In any case I apologize for the mix up but I promise you that I was never watching your master. I do not think I have ever even seen the man in my life."

"You are either a brilliant liar, an innocent, or just a complete incompetent. I can not tell which at the moment." Green eyes blinked up at him, astonishingly insulted.

"I _am_ innocent, you giant insect! The House of Phantomhive must be completely full of themselves to assume that they would matter enough for somebody like me to stalk them! I HAVE BIGGER THINGS TO CONCERN MYSELF WITH THAN THE HEAD OF A TOY AND CANDY COMPANY!" The sudden volume of her voice caught the dashing butler off his guard. Much to her surprise however he began to chuckle.

"Toys and candy… How quaint. You really are innocent aren't you?"

"Yes, damn it! I am only here because I gave Aberlimbo or whatever his name is my word that I would only stay here for no more than two hours, and I do believe that said time frame has passed by now! So if you don't mind, I will be going now." As she stood to bolt past him however her upper arm was caught and she was plopped back into her seat, much to her shock.

"That still leaves a loose end unfortunately." He straightened his coat curtly. Now Ivy truly was confused.

"Wait-wait…I don't understand. If I am innocent why the hell do you still need to keep me here? I can see no further reason for you to waste your time here. Why can I not be on my way?" She asked, trying her best to think calmly and rationally. 'Come on, Ivy girl…what are you missing here?'

"Keep you here?" He leaned over with a smile that she could tell was meant to be disarming…epic fail Mister Michaelis…epic fail. Instead she sweat dropped and leaned away from the creepy bastard. "Nonsense. My master has deemed it necessary that you be kept elsewhere." Now her face dropped even more if that were even possible.

"_Elsewhere? _SO I'M TO BE A PRISONER!" The girl abruptly began to rage once again, moving to stand he just pushed her back down by the shoulders. He was…_strong. _"ARGH! …What. Have I. Done. Exactly?" Reminding herself to relax was not helping her, not one bit as she hissed at him taking a deep breath between each pause.

"Why nothing at all, but is it not better than keeping you here?" His head tilted in a curious sort of way. "I must take you in for questioning." Now he regarded her carefully as she stared at him in outrage. "Hmmm…what exactly are you?" He was genuinely curious, as he had never encountered such an odd presence as hers in his long life.

"An attempted murderess if you do not begin to respect my personal boundaries here and now." The worn heels of her shoes pushed against the ground sending her chair sliding backward for distance, wooden legs groaning from the friction.

"Oh? Does this make you uncomfortable?" He followed her and an involuntary hiss escaped her lips, making her cover her mouth with wide eyes. A cat's hiss. How interesting. It seemed the more nervous she was the easier it was to manipulate the situation. Gears in his mind worked over every detail that he knew of her so far. "I'm curious…this bonnet. What could have possibly caused you to throw a fit over it?" He reached for it only to have her reel sharply back and toss his arm away from her.

"N-nothing! Leave it!" She was behaving like a girl again. Now he had her.

"Very well. I wont touch it…if you come along peaceably." Finally he stood up curtly and backed away from her. Ivy let out a breath she had not realized she'd been holding but then…blinked at him and glared.

"This is extortion." She growled. "How dishonorable."

"Would you rather I simply removed it to satisfy my curiosity?"

"If you touch me. I'll tear off your arm and back hand you back to hell's outhouse with it." She hissed. He stared impassively.

….

All was silent where Ciel waited for his servant. The young officer stood beside the door just across the hall from the boy. He cleared his throat awkwardly and before he could make a comment the deafening silence was absolutely shattered.

"KKKYYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Ciel himself nearly jumped out of his skin as a chair flew from the room with an ear-popping crack against the far wall. "YOU STAY AWAY FROM ME! YOU HEAR? AHHH!" A young woman practically threw herself out the door. The ties of her bonnet were loose but she was stubbornly clutching the article on her head with white knuckled fingers, retying it. The officer dutifully tried to placate her only to be flung sharply at the butler who sidestepped him with a frown, allowing him to hit the wall.

"Just a moment, Sebastian." Ciel ordered curtly. She blinked at the small boy giving out orders to the now smirking beast, awaiting the order to pounce.

"Am I to understand that…_you _are Earl Phantomhive?" Her tantrum was now completely forgotten as a single blue eye studied her with a gaze far to old and calculating for a child of his stature. Over the other one rested a plain but elegant eye patch that only mildly jarred her attention. By far he was the first child she had ever felt such an empowered presence from before. He gave a nod.

"I am." He even spoke like as though he were a grown man.

"You are not really a toy and candy distributor are you?" It was a statement in the form of a rhetorical question. No toy maker would be having dealings with Scotland Yard like this. The boy ignored her. Apparently her opinion was of little consequence to him.

"I trust that my servant has informed you of the situation." This seemed to bring her back to her former temper.

"Indeed! Shame on you for sending your wretch of a butler to try and soft-soap me into being your prisoner for God knows how long-!"

"Good. We will continue this discussion outside."

"LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE ONE-EYED HOB GOBLIN-!"

"Sebastian. If you please." He ordered not the least bit fazed. Shit!

"GET BACK YOU SAVAGE!" She snatched the chair and held it menacingly between herself and the black clad servant. He raised an eyebrow and simply held a familiar leather bag out to her. Where the hell was he keeping that?

"Your effects I presume? Unless of course you'd rather I keep them with me."

"GIVE ME THAT!" She snatched it only to blink in realization as he caught her wrist and the familiar stomach dropping sensation that accompanied being abruptly lifted off the ground assaulted her. "ACK!" Damn it! Being slung over someone's shoulder was not a comfortable. That, and she felt completely like a retard for that slip up. Face palm.

The boy in the meantime turned to the officer still nursing his head on the floor. "Thank you for your cooperation. That will be all. My servant and I will take it from here." With that simple remark, he curtly began to walk. "Let's go, Sebastian."

"Yes, sir." He bowed slightly so as not to drop the violently squirming slip of a girl. Her shouting went unheeded.

….

"YOU BEAST! OH! YOU OGRE! –oof!- Let GO!" With a roll of his eyes he adjusted his hold on her as she arched and kicked. "I AT LEAST DESERVE AN EXPLANATION BEFORE I'M BLOODY KIDNAPPED! A sigh of annoyance was heard as she grabbed onto a lamppost.

"Very well. Your request is acceptable so long as you promise not to attempt to run during said explanation. You will regret it." Ivy's brow lifted and she made a small gesture with her hands as if to say 'Oh, look out we've got a bad ass here' in a rather sarcastic manner.

"Done. You heard him, butler. Put me down." Her nose was now in the air and her arms were folded as she was lowered gracefully to her feet. There was a pause as if testing her resolve not to run before the Earl spoke. "I'm listening." She shied away from Mister tall, dark and 'I'm-going-to-kill-you-in-your-sleep' jack ass.

"The house of Phantomhive has been responsible to handle the dirty work of eliminating threats to the crown in the Underground. We have been given a case to which you are a vital piece of information. So far no other link has surfaced, you are our only lead. I am obliged to interrogate you somewhere where the police cannot get in the way." Ivy stared blankly. Underground? Queen? This child? These people were nuts. She could not afford to get mixed up in whatever intrigues they were up to.

"What could I possibly have to do with your case? What are you investigating?" Oh boy how was she going to get out of this one? Dutifully the butler handed her a scrap of newspaper. Blinking and brushing away strands of dark hair from her face she took it and paled significantly. Uh oh. "How can you be sure I have anything to do with this?" She remained stoic. The butler just wordlessly pulled the matching article out of her bag and held in before her eyes.

"Good enough?" Ciel folded his arms with his usual deadpan expression. Ivy's face withered. Well he certainly was a smart little blighter she would give him that. Or perhaps it was his butler's doing? "What do you know of these…suspects?" He motioned for her to follow him towards a hansom cab.

Honestly when she had seen him she had assumed that perhaps the child was the son of the Master or something. She supposed the truth explained that eye patch. 'How must I use my wit? How must I handle this?' She thought to herself.

It was painfully obvious what they wanted from her. "I see. You wish to use me as your bait. Since you can not find them, you hope that having me with you will lure them out to _you_." She cast her gaze down in a serious and thoughtful manner. She could cooperate…however there was no telling if she could trust them. How did she know if they would decide to give them what they wanted after learning the situation or not? It would be a more convenient way of getting them out of their Queen's England than fighting them and endangering the public. It seemed that using manipulation would not work with people as intelligent as them and she could not just run off, not with the close proximity the butler was keeping. She would have to settle for something just a little bit juvenile.

With misty eyes she looked back at them. "I guess I haven't much of a choice then…" Clasping her hands harmlessly she made her way toward the carriage as Sebastian opened it for them first. "This is a very delicate situation after all…" She set a foot inside. "So I suppose that means…-YOU'LL HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO TAKE ME ALIVE FIRST, WAGGERS!" The shout was abrupt as she kicked the door into the butler's face and zoomed out of the opposite entrance of the cab making a break for it. Ciel looked on in shock for a moment before glaring.

"SEBASTIAN!"

"Sir." With that simple acknowledgement the butler was darting after her.

….

Oh the devil take it! What the hell sort of beast would _still _be behind her after the speed she had been going all this time? How long had she even been running?

That infuriating little creature was still ahead of him, he assumed she would tire out and that he would not have to exert himself so much. Taking a glance at his watch as he ran, he deemed it necessary to end this nonsense. The pace was picked up and he began to gain quickly.

With a peek over her shoulder, her face dropped into a panic she screamed, picking up her own pace. At the sight of a sharply dressed and clean cut man like him chasing after a raggedy looking urchin who was clutching a bag…she appeared to be some sort of thief to on-lookers. A tall bulky man stepped in front of her hoping to be rewarded for his service only to have two freakishly strong hands clamp over his face as the girl leap frogged clean over him, knocking him onto his face in her haste.

"Sorry!" She called –insincerely- over her shoulder in a sing song tone. He moved to get up only to have polished loafers use his shoulders to boost their speed.

"Pardon me, good sir. Thank you." Damn it were people rude these days!

"Excuuuse meee~!" Ivy leapt over a large mobile cart of flowers and kicked it in her pursuer's general direction. The salesman practically had a conniption fit. Ivy didn't particularly care at the moment; at least it would slow …'it' down if even only for a second or so. …Then he gracefully grabbed onto the cover and swung right through the cart without disturbing a single petal. Bloody ffffuuucking hell! What exactly did she have chasing her right now?

"That bonnet. I want it, little one." He called after her knowing she could hear him.

"The agreement was that I would not run whilst the Earl 'explained'. Neither of you said anything about afterwards!" She responded confirming that indeed she could. With a yelp her breath was knocked from her as she was plowed into from behind. Two arms encircled her frame, pinning her arms to her sides and she caught sight of her feet flailing in the air in front of her as her captor barrel rolled into an alley with her securely pinned to his chest as to not scrape her on the cobblestone. After all, how would that look for his young master's reputation?

"_Our _agreement, little one…was that I would not touch your bonnet if you came along…peacefully. Which you haven't." His voice was full of arrogant triumph in her ear. Dammmmmn!

She writhed angrily, kicking out her legs. "What in the ninth circle of hell are you?" Exasperation, frustration, disbelief…the unyielding need to disembowel him if only it were possible…it was all conveyed in her voice.

"Why Miss…I am simply a butler to the core." He now spoke in what would have been considered a polite tone under any other circumstances. She rolled her eyes. 'None of your business would have been a lot better to say' she grumbled internally.

"Cute. Just bloody cute. You are such a dedicated servant, but sadly I'm still staying right here!" With an arch of her back she drove the back of her head into her attacker's face with a loud 'CRACK!' There was a grunt from him and his grip loosened…but it hurt her a hell of a lot more. "OOOW- SON OF A BITCH! WHAT IS YOUR SKULL COMPOSED OF? MARBLE? TITANIUM STEEL? I THINK YOUR POINTY NOSE JUST STABBED ME IN THE BRAIN STEM!" She ranted. Normally he would have silenced her but her temper tantrum provided quite the opportunity for him. With a whip of fabric cool air met the top of her head and she froze…now utterly silent with eyes that put saucers to shame really. A twitch. "…_You. Wanker._"

The all important bonnet was now gone…revealing a fluffy pair of pointed cat ears, black with silver accents…like a tabby. He was too silent when she reared on him ready to kill. Her eyes caught sight of his expression and she was suddenly very frightened and very uncomfortable. He was…smiling? Even worse he was scratching them! 'This is how I die.' The girl stared blankly in inexpressible terror.

"My. Is that what all the fuss was about? So you _are _a little demon then. How cute." Coming to from her shock, she smacked away his arm.

"What are you doing?" She shouted.

"Ah. How rude of me. In all my long years of existence I have never personally encountered one of the eastern neko demons. They keep to their own kind and are quite elusive." Really, Ivy did not appreciate being poked and prodded like some sort of scientific specimen.

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint, but I am just a half breed. Thus the reason why I cannot simply conceal my ears without using ridiculous human means." She snarled bitterly still holding her pounding head. He tilted his head still smiling receiving a defensive glare. "Um…Hello? Get off of me!"

"Was it not supposed to be obvious that you were a mixed breed? It would have taken me much longer to catch you if you were a full neko."

"Are you not lis-…Get off!" She bucked furiously only to wince. "OW!"

"What have you done to yourself now?" He drawled. Everything she did to get away from him only seemed to end up backfiring on her. What a funny little girl. Said girl just pouted and slumped limply in defeat.

"I bent my tail…" His face brightened at this…'Oh Fate…Why? _Why? _What have I done?' Her ears drooped in despair.

"A tail as well! How adorable." 'Um….? Ew.' The neko jerked in his grasp.

"I swear, Mister Michaelis if you try to check up my skirt I _will _tear out your pelvis." He scoffed at her statement.

"I can assure you that was not my intention."

"Good! Now get the hell off of me!"

"Impossible. After all I have my orders." …And when he stood he lifted her like nothing more than dried autumn leaf. Her legs kicked out in front of her. He just pinned them with his hip against the wall as he refastened her bonnet. 'I'm a bleeding Raggedy Ann doll!' She bit her lower lip furiously, used to being the strongest creature in her vicinity for so many years. A low cat growl. "Now, now. Be good, little one."

"Don't call me little one. I'm not your little one." Once again she ceased struggling to go limp in exasperation. "Seriously. What are you? You are not a neko obviously, and you certainly are not an imp, or a sprite, but I cannot tell as those are the only things I have ever come in contact with…I'm only days from being eighteen so I am rather infantile." None of those creatures could be this superior in strength.

"I will put you down only if you do not run." He stated as she began to deduce the possibilities to herself. A powerful beast like this was serving a small human boy? Why? That simple fact alone ruled out many species of supernatural being. There were very few who made bargains with meager humans. He was no faery that was certain, nor some sort of selkie…he was too powerful to be anything else but her last option. Her large eyes blinked at him. A contract. A demon.

"You are avoiding my question…but it doesn't matter. I know what you must be…the circumstances don't allow for anything else. You sir, are a demon…but you are not like my kind." She swallowed hard, truly not wishing to be entangled in the affairs of one of his kind.

"How clever. No…I am no neko nor any other lesser demon. I am just your average soul-devouring beast from the pits of hell. Though I rarely personally visit the tedious place." He spoke so nonchalantly about it.

_Djinn. _Noting her expression he smirked. "You have nothing to fear little one. I am collared." A hand rested on his chest.

"_Let go." _She spoke. "Let go! I want nothing to do with you!" He began to snicker.

"I suppose that means you wont cooperate. Come along then, little Halfling."

"I HAVE A NAME!"

"Which is?" Oh that's right. She hadn't given them her name.

"Ivy…just Ivy… for now." She would not trust them to know her complete name. One never knew nowadays.

"Well then…'Miss _Ivy_'... May I be the first to say, welcome to the game of the watchdog. You had better be a fast learner." He smiled, quite pleased with himself, hoisting her over his shoulder like the catch of the day. "What fine weather London is having. A rare treat." How dare he make small talk whilst carting her off like a convict?

….

"Took you long enough." Ciel sat curtly in the carriage, passing the time by reading the rest of the paper.

"Apologies, young master." Ivy was plopped with a light 'oof!' onto the seat across from the boy, the butler joining them. "Phantomhive" was all that needed to be said to the driver before they were off. She sat up sharply with a hiss that surprised the young boy across from her and the butler's arm shot out to pin her to the back of her seat. Just in case. She found the insinuation that she would attack a child quite insulting but only narrowed her eyes at the tall black clad demon. How out of place she felt, seated in such a clean-cut mode of transportation.

"Will you show him, or should I?" He warned.

After a sigh she looked back to the boy. "I will show you." Slowly she took a breath and slid off the dark blue fabric that concealed her ears. A single deep blue eye widened at the appendages that were drooping atop her head.

"What is the meaning of…that?" He pointed at them unabashedly.

"Miss Ivy is what one would call a half breed neko…or cat demon if you prefer." The butler spoke dutifully, making sure to keep an eye on her actions. Her sudden demure manner could be the calm before a storm.

"Cat demon…?" The boy trailed looking at his butler. Ivy spoke up now.

"Please. Allow me to shed light on the situation. First I would like to make a request?" The young neko knew that to ask for such a thing was a long shot but she would not go on without some attempt at insuring her safety. The Earl looked skeptically at his butler, who gave a simple nod. He grunted.

"Proceed."

"Before I agree to cooperate, I want your word as a gentleman that you will not hand me over to the creatures who follow me, I would also like to be included in whatever information you gather, and I am not to be held responsible for anything that you have brought upon yourselves by taking me in."

Ciel regarded her in silence, exchanging a 'well excuse me' glance with his demon butler. "What is your name girl?"

"She calls herself Ivy, young master…that is all she would tell me…unless you'd like me to coerce the information out of her." He squeezed Ivy's shoulder languidly and she grimaced and moved against the window defensively. She was fairly certain that he was not speaking of any manner of friendly persuasion.

"No-no-no! My name is Ivy and I'm seventeen years old, going on eighteen in three days and I would be _very _indebted to you if you would keep _that thing_ away from me." She pointed at Sebastian. Earning a smirk out of the corner of her eye from the big brute.

"Sebastian, stand down." He ordered dryly looking back at her. "Well _Ivy. _You make quite a lot of demands considering we can keep you easily on our grounds whether you agree to it or not." At this she simply looked out of the window.

"Maybe so…but you do not know just how…uncooperative I can be when I want to be and no amount of pain and ill treatment has ever broken ANY resolve of mine. I can make you want me gone like you have never wanted anything out of your life so badly." It was a promise, and every word was one hundred percent true. If demons could not break her at age five, they wouldn't be able to do it now either.

"I could decide to just kill you."

"Ha ha ha! If you killed me you would be doing me a huge favor in a way, but you wont. If I were truly disposable, then I would not have been forced into this hansom in the first place, now would I…Cyclops?" Sebastian stomped down a snicker, disguising it with a cough.

"Do you honestly have nothing better to do at such a crucial moment than make snide remarks about an eye-patch?" The boy remarked. She was right however, they did need her alive. He certainly had not assumed that she would be so direct about the situation.

"Oh please, do not behave as though I have said anything hurtful. If you treat everybody like this in your line of work then I'm more than certain that you have been called much worse." Right she was. The boy's lip quirked, his visible eye closed serenely in a smug expression.

"Touché."

"Right. So, does this mean we have an agreement, Earl Phantomhive?"

He grunted, regarding her with that cold oceanic color in his eye. "Alright." Casually he turned his eye to the window as if bored already. "Because I need your knowledge and cooperation, I am willing to play along and see where this goes. We have a deal."

* * *

Author's Note: Alright, originally Ivy was much nicer to Ciel when she first met him, but in that version she needed HIS aid and he had not been kidnapping her. I don't know anybody who would want to be polite to his or her kidnapper, especially not somebody as stubborn, sarcastic, and fierce as Ivy. So no nothing has changed about her personality. Damn this really took me forever. Trying so hard to keep my story's original charm in tact . Now I must proofread. Ew. Still not done revising. GRAAAAHHHHH! *throwing tantrum on the floor*


	4. That Maid Employed

Author's Note: I am REALLY hoping that this can be my last revised chapter, but I'm not about to hold my breath. I must fill in some details and delete others but it seems like I have a general plan, which is good. I just hope I have not missed anything that might create unnecessary plot holes. Curse myself for being so adamant about this. I now have Ivy in the manor without being Ciel's half sister. Infiltration successful, now all I gotta do is work out all of the kinks down to possibly chapter…fifteen I think. Easy? No. Fuck me. Nothing else to declare, we are moving on homies gs. Ciao!

Disclaimer: So! Like I always say. I own nothing. Kuroshitsuji is not my property and I'm just having fun playing with it for a while. Damn copyright laws that got me into this situation -_-'. I'm bored of taking advantage of Sebby's responsibility towards guests…plus if he's going to kill me I don't want him getting it into his head that he should torture me too. So anyway! I own nothing for the millionth time and uh…I LOVE YOU SEBBY PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! ***kitty eyes –since puppy eyes wont work-***

**Chapter Four: That Maid Employed**

_"How absurd and delicious it is to be in love with someone younger than yourself. Everybody should try It. " –Barbara Pym_

"A few hours later one of the workers there found me." she stated blankly after telling them her story. "I was taken in, I did not bother to speak to anybody for a long time. Most of the other children were frightened by me, and nobody wanted to adopt the pale, somber child who sat all day and brooded, behaving like the queen of Sheba." she explained. "I did not wish to be adopted either, I wanted my mother. As I said however, she never returned and I grew up there until they kicked me out. Afterwards I was not sure what it was that I should have done so I decided to live my life, find a job, and maintain a low profile existence."

Ciel regarded her quietly with a cool and calculating gaze. "It is the truth." she assured him with all the sincerity she could muster, feeling the full effect of what she had just agreed to, sinking down on her. She had never been more nervous.

"You are saying that it is your…'clan' that is tracking you?" The young Earl was really not familiar with all of this demon lore stuff. After all unless an explanation was necessary, Sebastian kept those things under wraps from any human ear. She gave a simple nod, chewing her lip.

"I don't know why they would choose now to come, after so many years. I had hoped that they would have forgotten about me." Her gaze trailed out of the window on her end blankly. "Why would they even want to bring me back so badly? I do not understand…but I know that to go back would mean a fate worst than death. I will die before I let them take me." Green eyes flashed with a steadfast, and stubborn resolve.

"All the more reason for you to collaborate with us. As of now, we have a common opponent." Ciel's eyes watered and he began to cover his face with a handkerchief. "How much longer till we reach the manor?" He demanded shortly. Green eyes blinked at him.

"Not much longer. Perhaps fifteen minutes."

"Is he alright?"

"The young master is highly allergic to cats." Sebastian explained smoothly. Ivy blanched, immediately covering her ears back up hoping to keep as much fur away from him as possible.

"I think a warning would have been just a tad more helpful of you, Mister Michaelis." The neko frowned at the demon beside her. The Earl may have been her kidnapper only hours ago, but he was still just a small boy and she had no desire to harm him. As a matter of fact, perhaps she could make more of an attempt at being a bit less cranky. She turned her gaze to him apologetically. "I am so sorry, Earl. It will not happen again. I will be careful to keep my distance-"

"It's fine." The child's tone was riddled with annoyance at the hint of being fussed over by a stranger. He had no desire to be treated like a child. She blinked, realizing her slip up. Her hands folded themselves in her lap as she silently watched him. "You will have to be with us for an extended period considering what is happening. I can only assume that I will have to keep you on as a maid to avoid suspicion." He spoke curtly, sounding very much like a grown man in his manner of speech.

"I see…Um…I do not mean to sound too doubtful in your planning skills as my new 'employer' however… how on earth do you expect to explain to your other employees well…erm…these?" Awkwardly the half neko patted both sides of her bonnet meaningfully. Noting her sudden softness Ciel decided that this girl had a serious case of bipolar syndrome. Never the less, she made a valid point. He and his butler exchanged glances. It was apparently time to come up with some wild story telling.

…..

"You mean like, Finnian?" Bard inquired. As the butler gathered the Phantomhive servants, he began to prepare them to meet their newest co-worker.

"In a way. However, the lab that held Finnian for those dark years of his life, simply wanted to create an injection that improved mankind's chances at overcoming disease and other deficiency's for good. This girl however, was the product of attempts to create a biological weapon of war using the useful traits of animals. All were failures that did not live for more than a few days…She however managed to survive so please speak little of the subject, and be careful as she is rather…touchy." He described for lack of a better word. Honestly it was not a lie, the girl was nervous, temperamental, and timid all in one. How was such a thing even possible?

Anyway with all that these servants had experienced and had seen him do without a single question, it was certain that they would not think twice about a girl from a science lab. Miss Ivy had thought the idea was 'utterly stupid' and questioned whether or not they would buy such a story, however she did not realize just how trusting and soft headed those three were. As for Tanaka…since Finnian came from a lab, he would not bat an eye either.

"SHE'LL BE RIGHT AT HOME HERE WITH US!" The young gardener stepped up enthusiastically feeling an immediate kinship toward anyone who had undergone a similar terror to the one that he had experienced. Bard frowned.

"A weapon of war? You sure she's safe? What if she's some kind of double agent?" He took a drag from his cigarette.

"I would have had some hope that you had more faith in my –and the young master's- judgment by now. Behave yourself, Bard." The butler responded curtly. Maylene looked on ever the curious one, wishing she could fast forward through all of the talk and get to the introduction. Perhaps having another maid would be refreshing after being in a manor surrounded by an ocean of testosterone all day every day. Not that she hated being around her friends…and not that she would ever disdain Mister Sebastian's company. Of course not…a blush overcame her features.

"Where is she?" She asked curiously.

"Ho, Ho, Ho." Tanaka sipped tea in the background as usual. Honestly none of the servants would have been surprised if the eldest servant had already seen her due to his inexplicably cunning wiles. The steam rose into the air from his porcelain cup as innocently as his beady little chibified eyes gazed back at them. Sebastian gave nothing away with his own steady gaze either…his smile as enigmatic as always.

"Just a moment." He said in a tone that calmly hinted for their patience. As he stood before the door, he curtly opened the two large doors that concealed the newest member of the Phantomhive household behind them. Brown eyes watched through their spectacles intently as Maylene wondered what she could expect such a girl to look like. "Everyone, this is Ivy. Our newest housemaid, please be sure to treat her well and to get her well acquainted with how things are done in this manor." He was not facing them as he spoke but his tone betrayed the slightest hint of amusement.

He moved aside and there she stood. A frown resided in her light mint green eyes as she followed his form before her face softened looking at them. She looked fairly young, around Maylene's age group she supposed. An icy beauty in spite of her weary expression and raggedy appearance, she stood with her hands clasping a leather hand bag in front of her. Finnian waved at her obligingly, and Bard narrowed his eyes in a welcoming smile. She seemed so nervous and lost to be here that Maylene could not help but sympathize as well. The maid smiled at the first other female to be introduced into the young master's home and gave a rather shy nod and a smile.

After a moment of surveying them with slight puzzlement and awkwardness in her eyes, she softened into a small smile of relief. "…I'm pleased to meet you." She spoke in an almost hushed voice at the moment -most likely because she was so tired- giving them a polite little dip of a curtsey. They tried not to stare at her ears, they really were strange to look at. What did they feel like when one touched them? Mink perhaps?

"I'm Finnian! This is Maylene, Bard, and Tanaka!" The gardener stepped forward eagerly, making said ears droop and the girl jump ever so slightly. She must not have expected such colorful servants to greet her. "We're your new friends! I work on the gardens, Bard is the head chef, and Maylene is a maid just like you-" Bard pulled him back by the collar mid sentence with a gruff laugh.

"Slow down there for a minute, Finni. Let's not overwhelm her. So…Ivy is it? Where did you get that name?" Maylene gaped at the situation he was putting himself in.

"Bard that's ru-!"

"Who did you work for? How did the young master find you- OW!" The girl known as Ivy gave a start when Sebastian punched the top of Bard's head.

"You deliberately disregarded my warning, and you are being impolite, until Ivy receives her uniform and is settled in she shall be our guest, and she shall be treated as such." When he turned to Ivy she seemed to lean in the opposite direction. With a grin he turned to Maylene, making her breathe catch as it always did when he directly caught her gaze in his own fathomless one. Her cheeks pinkened ever so slightly. "Maylene." His voice was always so rich, so dark in its essence, so… like the touch of velvet. "Would you be so kind as to show Miss Ivy around? Oh and take her measurements for a new uniform. Bard, Finnian? Back to your respective duties if you please. Tanaka, please take it easy." The order was given crisply before he made off to continue with his own schedule. For a moment the silent dark haired girl opened her mouth as if to protest something before going silent and frowning in irritation at his retreating back.

"Yes, Mister Sebastian." Maylene called after him with a dutiful nod, adjusting her glasses. Finnian scurried off with one final wave to the new girl, and Bard lumbered off rubbing his aching head with a grumble or two. Maylene noted that she was slightly taller than her by perhaps half an inch or so. Her measurements were probably not _too_ different from her own then.

"I'm sorry for not greeting you properly earlier, I am." As if brought out from some deep process of thought, green eyes lit up and trained on her. Rather unnerving in a way, but when she smiled softly all was forgotten. The girl took the maroon haired maid by surprise as she grabbed her hand, shaking it.

"Oh it's perfectly fine. I am actually relieved that you are so close to my age to be honest." Huh? Why? As if reading her thoughts Ivy continued. "You see, honestly I did not know what to expect when I was brought here, and since the only other maid in the manor would be the one I spent most of my time working with, I was worried that you would be an older woman… perhaps as irritable as the butler who oversees you." With that she winced. Irritable? Mister Sebastian? "I am so happy that is not the case. I am sorry for babbling…it tends to happen when I feel awkward or nervous. Tell me what is it like working here?" Maylene felt the need to put this girl just a little more at ease.

"We are all very happy to be here. The young master rescued all of us from our dark pasts, and you too now apparently. Oh and you shouldn't worry about Mister Sebastian. He can be stern but for all of his faults he is not unkind." At the bespectacled maid's words, Ivy's gaze seemed to sharpen as though she had forgotten something very vital.

"I see…" And just as suddenly as it appeared it was gone. "Well in any case. It seems that I am yours to lead. What are we to do first?" Maylene was not used to making any authoritative decisions as a maid so it was rather odd to be asked such a thing.

"Well…I think it would be a better choice of action to get your measurements before I show you around the manor." Ivy nodded, preparing herself to learn to adjust to manor life.

….

Ivy noted that it would only be normal that the servants be unaware of who Sebastian Michaelis really was. Unkind would have been an understatement for a creature like him. It made sense since he was collared that he would treat them nicely, besides to keep your servants content earned the assurance that they would be unlikely to turn coats on you. A happy servant…is a loyal servant. It would only be fair to them that they remain in the dark about this contract game going on just under their noses.

The clean, dark grandeur of her surroundings made her feel so out of place among them in her humble worn attire. It was beautiful here. Too beautiful. What tokens of vanity every simple item felt like to her, she was almost afraid to touch anything at all. The elegant halls held an eerie beauty to them that only she seemed to notice. Such a queer place…dark and intimidating, much like the master and his butler. Macabre paintings decorated the halls, and the floor was patterned with polished black and white tiles, like a chessboard that you could see your reflection in.

'Oh dear…what am I doing here? This is beyond insanity.' She groaned internally. Everything seemed to chorus as one 'Hello. You now walk among the mad, please enjoy your stay' -Insert sunny smile-. The half-neko girl walked close beside Maylene, feeling like this house wanted to eat her or something.

Maylene –she noted- was a bit shy, but then again so was she, so the two of them spoke little, still she was pleasant enough to be around. The only issue she had about this was that nobody had bothered to show her to where she would be sleeping, and she knew that for all the butler cared, she could sleep in the stables. That ass clearly just wanted her to feel as uncomfortable as he could possibly manage. Keeping that thought in mind, she steeled her resolve and decided that she would adapt quite nicely to this place…for as long as she had to of course.

One thing she knew for sure however, he did not like her…and really she was not particularly fond of him herself. 'We will see about this little game of yours, devil.' Her eyes settled into a pleasant looking calm so as to not alarm anybody who might look at her face.

….

"Can I help you?" Liam was at the counter again today, it seemed there was a duchess who was throwing a party and after the wedding cake had been a success, they were suddenly in demand. So his father was quite busy. Standing at the counter in front of him were two rather tall gents. One with a gold-like color in his eyes, and the other with striking green ones. The first one –slightly younger- looked determined, and the other bored out of his mind. The two of them raised an eyebrow as if his question were a rather stupid one.

"Certainly. My…companion and I have been on a search. You see, a certain important _part _of our _family _has gone missing and we have been just so concerned since." Liam stared blankly not sure what to make of them. "We have followed her trail, to the general area and have lost it quite sadly…she is a thin little one about yea high, with long hair... -the blackest you've ever seen, large green eyes…you wouldn't have happened to see anything…have you?" His eyes seemed to challenge the young Irishman to lie.

His memory moved back to the young lady that had entered his father's shop, looking for work. She fit their description perfectly. In spite of her appearance however, he did not look as though she had been in danger…though for her to be a runaway was believable. These men…they were not like her though…what affiliation could such a gentle spirited and soft creature like her have had with these almost menacing looking and imposing men? If she _was _a runaway…he would certainly understand why. He was suddenly glad that his father was so busy today.

"Nothing lately, sir." It wasn't a lie. He had only seen her a while ago and never again since. "Perhaps she is long gone from this general area already, sirs. Is there anything else I can help you with? Nothing can top our crisp apple pies I've been told. Care to try one?" He offered politely. Ah the joys of being a salesman. The older of them seemed to grimace at the pastries slightly and the other more menacing looking remained flat and disinterested, staring as if directly through him.

"I see…" His voice sounded different as he trailed off, strumming his nails on the counter in a pensive rhythm. "No thank you. We appreciate you giving us some of your time anyway." The golden gaze of his eyes seemed to be piercing through his soul. His companion scoffed a bit loudly at this and rolled his eyes, earning a dark glare. "Goodbye." As they made their way off Liam watched them. Just when he thought it was okay to feel relieved, Cassie…she came out of nowhere and accidentally collided with the stranger's leg. Making him look sharply down at her with a slight frown.

Liam nearly barked for her to get back into the kitchen but that would be too suspicious, instead all he could do was look on in horror as his companion knelt to her level, tilting his head with a smile. The little girl stared at the two of them wide eyed as if awed by their presence.

"Oops! I'm sorry." She smiled apologetically at the gentlemen. The older brother wrung his hands and swallowed hard. The golden-eyed younger man simply walked off with disinterest while his…-associate perhaps?- lingered.

"…What a sweet little one." The crouching man ruffled the child's hair before standing back up. "That is quite alright. Have a good day." She blushed. With a single salute to Liam, and a poke to the girl's forehead followed by a wink, he was off after his moody companion. It was only then that Liam let out a breath and frowned at his little sister who stared back innocently and confused. His blue gaze softened…it wasn't her fault.

"Liam?" She asked. "Are you okay?" A hand ran through his chin length locks.

"Its fine, firefly. Go back into the kitchen, alright? Don't leave without telling me and Mum where you are next time either."

"Okay!" With that the shock of her red hair flew past him and into the back. He watched her go with his sky colored irises. What a day so far, eh?

….

It would not hurt to behave herself here. Things had gone well so far. As she and Maylene had conversed, Ivy had come to see that they really did have more in common than they assumed. Except of course on the topic of Sebastian, but that was not such a big issue. "...So you see, ever since the young master rescued us we have all been so happy. I hope you will come to be as happy as we are here, I do." Really her accent was so endearing. Like a younger version of one of those mother-hen type maids.

"I certainly hope so myself. Though I don't plan on staying here forever." The maroon haired girl looked at her curiously. Ah, if only they knew of her real situation. There was no way she could hope to stay at the Phantomhive manor. Contracts do not last forever…and there was no way she would be caught dead still working there once that demon was freed from his bonds. The very idea made her shudder.

"You alright?" Maylene watched her with concern. "You seem light-headed. Have you eaten? The kitchen is really close by, it is and I'm sure Bard wouldn't mind some company." As a matter of fact the neko girl had not had a decent meal in quite some time, but she did not feel like going through the trouble of preparing something at the moment. She was more tired than she felt hungry right now. Before she could respond however, there was the thundering of an explosion. Both girls jumped in surprise.

"What was that?" Ivy asked wide-eyed, and before Maylene could respond she was headed in that direction. "Come on! Somebody could be hurt!" The bespectacled maid was already blushing in embarrassment as she scurried after her, trying to assure her that all was fine. It was hard not to be embarrassed however, when a new face was made to discover the faulty work of the Phantomhive servant trio.

Dark plumes of smoke slithered from inside the kitchen, curling in the air through the cracks of the surprisingly still intact door. As Ivy barged in, she took in the disaster around her. Maylene hurried in after her, both girls coughing and waving the thick plumes from their faces. Bard sat sulking in a corner between two counters, clothes browned, ash stains on his face, and his hair charred into what looked like a round-crisped brown shrub. Over his shoulder there rested a customary flamethrower and he coughed ever so slightly, cigarette nowhere in sight.

"Bard! What have you done this time?" Maylene wailed at the state of their surroundings. He stood, dusting himself off for the most part. His turquoise eyes were cast grudgingly to the ground as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, not one to enjoy being embarrassed in front of the women folk.

"The blasted turkey was still not thawed out after so many hours. So I tried to take matters into my own hands." Ivy blinked at him and Maylene looked around forlornly. "Sebastian is totally going to have my head on a pike for this one. It was our last McArthur Gold." The maroon-haired maid covered her mouth in realization of the statement.

"No!" She gasped.

"Yes." The head chef groaned back. Ivy was completely lost here, but really she did pity them. Or well…him, because really it was not Maylene's mistake just his.

"I suppose that means this kitchen is not fit for use at the moment." She remarked dryly.

"You think?" Bard responded with a stressed huff. "Hey, sorry for nosing into your business earlier, lets start over Miss …" He trailed inquiringly, shaking her hand over again. She blinked briefly at him before drawing her hand back politely.

"Just Ivy will do." The dark haired mystery girl responded with a shy but undeniable finality. Now he blinked a bit and both he and Maylene stared for a moment. Ivy blinked innocently and cleared her throat. "Your face is a little burned…Bard." She told him, pointing at her own face and his. He scoffed.

"Pshaw. This? I've been scalded much worse before little lady, don't worry about me!" He placed his hands on his hips and broke into the good guy pose as if he did not look like a roasted circus clown. So this level of catastrophe was routine? The horror. "Just some home remedies from the green house should be able to take care of it." Maylene adjusted her glasses, nodding in agreement. Ivy felt a bit out of place being the only new face among such old friends.

"That's right, Bard! Some lavender should do the trick. Miss Ivy and I can fetch it while you start cleaning up. We were headed for the garden anyway." The neko girl just nodded in agreement. Ah the eagerness of friends to help one another. She did like them so far…though they were rather odd. Tanaka had made her sweat drop when she first saw him, a strange chibified old man sipping steaming tea from a mug. Green tea…she could tell by the scent. Bard called after them as they left. "Take your time ladies! I wouldn't want you to get caught up in Sebastian's scolding too." That had been that.

Now as the two girls walked through the gardens, Maylene explained how Sebastian had planned out the garden's design. The grass seemed almost too perfectly green for a place with such a dark side to it. Ivy admired the vegetation and floral coloring with a certain hidden enjoyment, anything full of color and life brought her relief from the darker side of life that she normally lived. Though it was so typically, garishly feminine to have such a soft spot for flowers, so she never mentioned it aloud. It seemed that Finnian was nowhere in sight and this disturbed her reddish-haired companion apparently.

"Where is he?" Ivy noted that Maylene tended to fiddle with her glasses when she was agitated.

"Uh… Perhaps he is busy?" Ivy offered. That did not seem to placate the maid very much…well it _was _a bit too quiet. "I could help you look for him since I really have nothing to do here until I get my uniform…"

"No, no, its fine." Maylene was not up for more embarrassment. "Until tomorrow you're a guest, you are. I'll just make sure he's alright for just a moment while you enjoy the garden." What on earth could he possibly do all by himself that could be so bad? As the other maid vanished, fidgeting nervously and stumbling over a random tree root, Ivy folded her arms looking around. The greenhouse was not too far away. It would make an interesting place to explore, as she had never been inside one before. Then she heard a soft 'mew' and her attention darted to the source.

Up in one of the larger trees, she caught sight of a small black cat stuck in the branches…such a typical storybook, good deed moment. She smiled up at it apologetically; it would only be appropriate to rescue the poor thing. "Hello there. Are you stuck?" She cooed gently up at the adorable little thing. There was another darling meow in response. Aw, the poor thing. "Oh dear. Come on I'll catch you." She coaxed, placating as she beckoned her over with her hands. The creature's fluffy ears drooped and she curled further into the tree apprehensively. Ivy sighed. "Oh alright. Here I come."

Up she climbed with unnatural dexterity. "It's alright." She assured the little stray not making any sudden moves and gently holding out one of her hands for her to sniff. Her offer was tentatively accepted and she was able to stroke the soft black fur. Just as she was picking up the light little thing, a scream grew until it reached her vicinity. Suddenly she was being swarmed by bees, and the source of the scream slammed into the trunk making it shatter and sending the tree she perched in toppling downward.

"Ow! Son of a- eek!" she nearly dropped the cat as she swatted away the offending insects, shielding her as best as she could. Jumping down she was abruptly snatched and spun away from the wrath of stingers and the falling timber, set onto her feet gracefully. The kitten was then plucked from her arms in her moment of shock. The form of a certain perfect, pristine butler in black stood before her, stroking the feline as he regarded her with a tilt of his head.

"How careless. You should have foreseen that, little one." Ivy glared defiantly back up at him. Was it suppose to be her fault that her skills had been diminished from years of neglect? Maylene came charging toward the clamor and Finnian was seen as a wailing heap on the ground speckled with several bee stings not too many it was nothing too serious. The demon butler sighed with a withered frown.

"Is this sort of thing really a routine occurrence?" Ivy asked weakly. He made no response. Both the maid and gardener hung their heads in shame and she knew that she had hit the nail.

"I'M SOORRRYYYYY! IF MISTER SEBASTIAN HAD NOT SHOWED UP-…" The boy warbled in tears babbling a tearful explanation that Sebastian had no intention of listening to. Maylene was about to speak and he held up a hand to dismiss her.

"Have you at least taken Miss Ivy's measurements?" He demanded.

"E-err…yes. Right here."

"Give them to me." He practically snatched the paper, making Ivy frown at him in silent disapproval. Mental note: Sebastian Michaelis = Snobbish Bully Supervisor.

"See here, it is unnecessary of you to-"

"Miss Ivy. A word before you go about your business." 'Hell no.'

"Oh come on what could I have possibly done to-"

"Come now, you must be hungry-"

"I can eat later. Until I can officially work I'm to be a guest am I not? You have no such power over me to order me around just yet, and please do not interrupt me again." The neko was slowly losing her temper. 'Besides the kitchen is unfit for use right now.' She grumbled mentally. All she wanted to do was ask these people what the exact extent of their everyday blunders was. Her stomach grumbled and she blushed. Damn it. "It will only be a few minutes…I'm sure you need a bit more time to repair a few damages in the kitchen, yes?" An elegant eyebrow rose at her.

"B-bard blew up the kitchen again, Mister Sebastian." Maylene shifted her footing. 'Again?' Suddenly Ivy was even less enthusiastic to work here than before if that were even possible. Sebastian sighed, gently placing the fluffy black creature back into her grasp much to her surprise.

"I might have known. Excuse me; I will have to brief you on your duties here later." He crisply straightened his jacket lapels. She could feel his irritation and it seemed to make the lush green of the surrounding leaves and grass, darken. Really she pitied that poor head chef, watching the butler leave. She and Maylene moved to tend to Finnian, Tanaka coming to their aid as well.

"Oh Finni." Maylene scolded. "What on earth were you doing?" They plucked and squeezed out some stingers from his arm and face.

"I was trimming the trees and I knocked one over! It had bees in it!" Oh this child! Ivy had never seen such immense strength in a human being before. Much to her shock he sprang up and barreled into her, she only barely managed to keep her footing after quite a bit of stumbling, the kitten leaping onto her head to avoid injury. What the-? "I'M SOO SORRY! DID I HURT YOU?" She blinked at him and shook her head almost in a panic. Was he completely right upstairs?

"Finnian, I believe Miss Ivy is perfectly fine." Tanaka spoke up. " I do believe it is alright to release her now." At the old gentleman's words, he abruptly let go and backed away apologetically.

"I'm fine. Its perfectly alright. I have a feeling Mister Sebastian is more upset about the cat getting mixed up in this than anybody else." She assured, wringing her hands awkwardly now. Without so much as a single thanks the kitten leapt to the ground and trotted off gaily. "You are welcome!" She called after her indignantly, turning back to the others. "So basically Finnian is um….too strong for his own good." It was tact. "… and Bard can not cook without destroying the kitchen for the life of him." The maid and gardener nodded.

"Oh and Maylene is really clumsy the other day sh-!" A nervous maid clamped her hand over his mouth with a blush. Clumsy? Well that didn't sound so very dreadful. Anyway she might have guessed by the way she tripped so hard over the tree root earlier in her search for her monstrously strong co-worker. After a moment of silence…she smiled, then she giggled jovially.

"That is nothing to be ashamed of! Honestly I was more afraid that I would not fit in what with my…" She trailed…not particularly eager to begin a conversation about her ears. As if sensing her discomfort, Finni hugged her again –not so dreadfully tight this time-.

"Don't worry! This is a nice place. We are all friends and Mister Sebastian has been very kind to us." Oh for the love of- if she heard these people sing the butler's praises one more time she was going to scream until her chords snapped. "I know you'll fit in here, Miss Ivy. I can tell." He gave a sunny smile that she returned albeit slightly awkwardly. He was being sincere; there was no need to make anybody uncomfortable.

"Thank you." She said with genuine warmth. "I hope that I can be of use to the manor."

"The young master would have never hired you otherwise. Pleast be at ease." Tanaka smiled with a polite nod before he deflated back into his usual chibified form. Before she could reply her traitorous stomach grumbled again. Her ears drooped.

….

It was troublesome scolding and banishing Bard from the premises, before making quick work of the kitchen however, somebody like him could take care of these matters easily. At the moment he was working on a snack for the young master. Chocolate Rose-Geranium Cake before his senses quickly picked up on the sound of footsteps, both light- one more so than the other-…the women. He paid them no heed as he prepared the young master's snack. The door creaked open behind him and he heard a squeak and the sound of feminine scuffling. He rolled his eyes, not bothering to look in their direction as he spoke.

"Miss Maylene, and Miss Ivy what exactly are you doing?" There was then more scuffling followed by a resigned sigh.

"M-mister Sebastian…" The maid blushed, Ivy stood beside her grudgingly with her slender arms folded over her chest, looking at the ground with a forlorn gaze. "Miss Ivy decided to eat after all…we were just checking to see if there was anything we could whip up, we were."

"Ah." He said, quite crisply and pleasantly. "Well then I believe I can take it from here. Go about your chores Maylene." Ivy's eyes widened in alarm, watching in anguish as the other maid scrambled off dutifully if not clumsily. 'Noooooo!' What the hell was she going to do alone with the bastard? How the hell does one even make conversation with the demons of hell? Oh dear…she trembled. Her eyes began to wander distractedly as he remained silent. Was he purposely prolonging her agony? He prepared a pan wordlessly.

She caught sight of something on the counter and briefly forgot that the butler existed. Chocolate bars…Phantomhive was famous for their chocolate after all and she certainly did love some good chocolate. He seemed to sense her thought process as she reached for one because he finally spoke up, scaring the living daylights out of her. "Sugar is not a meal." She jumped, a frown darkening her features as she noticed that he had not even bothered to glance in her direction. How on earth had he-? Never mind. With a glare at his back she stuck her tongue out at him. Yes she knew it was rude and unladylike but…oh who the hell gave a damn anyway!

"Well I…I was going to make myself something, but with this ridiculously awkward atmosphere you-…Oh see here I can't cook with a cranky butler –or anybody for that matter- hovering around me the whole time alright? It is annoying." As if on cue her stomach grumbled again, and she made faces at the back of his head. Without another word she snatched the intended bar and breezed away to sit on a counter, munching on the brown delicacy with a smile and a pleased blush. Her legs kicked out back and forth in a very disarming and childlike manner. He turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised. Come to think of it he'd not seen her smile before now.

"I assume you enjoy the company chocolate." He stated dryly. She blushed again and nodded rather sheepishly, hugging the treat to her chest. Such things brought her back to the only pleasant memories she had…and those were very few.

"Very much." She admitted. He hummed stoically in response. "I see. Well then I should tell you not to eat between meals and that I will not have you pinching from the chocolate supply but I will assume you are aware enough to know how to be a respectable employee." He must have been really used to having his day shit on by the other servants, huh? If she hadn't been informed as to their backgrounds she would have wondered why someone as picky as Sebastian would have hired them in the first place. Never mind that.

"What am I doing in here exactly, if not eating?" She asked distractedly pulling at the wrapper from her snack, oddly placid. He turned curtly to face her completely.

"I have been instructed by the young master to brief you on several important matters regarding your stay at the Phantomhive manor."

"Yes?" She asked softly, not looking at him still. The hellcat was not available for comment at the moment it seemed. Either that or she was not really paying attention. The dutiful butler tilted his head curiously.

"You will be working in our manor as maid –as you already know- thus you will be instructed in our routines, the protection of said manor, and I will have to be acquaint myself with your capabilities and strongest points. Also, since the servants and visiting relations may want to know your full name, the young master has deemed it best that you are given an alias." He began, the girl's ear twitched slightly back. 'Oi, he gives lectures too? Fuuuuuuuu-! Okay its alright Ivy take it easy' She told herself.

"What does he have in mind?"

"Ah. He has left that up to me to decide though nothing seems to suit you so far…I believe I should call you Miss Gateau." He said this non-chalantly as if he was not at all naming her after a desert. That is not awkward at all right?

"Is that meant to be some kind of lame innuendo for something I'm not able to pick up on? Or perhaps by giving me such a laughable name you hope that I will consent to give you my real one?" She frowned suspiciously. There was an amused shift in his ominous presence.

"Not at all. I simply based it on your apparent love for the cocoa bean…since you are so keen on being a chocolate monster. It is also the master's favorite desert. The first desert I executed properly and the first time my palate was introduced to the vile matter known as chocolate." Ivy's eyes widened as if he had gravely insulted the very essence of her happiness.

"Blasphemy! You sir, are speaking in a fit of jealousy because you are unable to appreciate the food of the Gods like everybody else who was blessed with _real_ taste buds. To put it inelegantly, shut your face, Sebastian Michaelis." With that she folded her arms decisively with a defiant frown. The demon seemed to look at her in mild astonishment at the way she spoke to him in spite of her knowledge of what he really was. Really she was astonished too. Immediately upon realization she internally berated herself, but really it sucked that she had to curb her tongue just because she was so small and fragile in comparison to him.

His expression vanished instantly and he went back to his duties. "What are your strongest skills?" Ivy winced at this. She had not sparred since she was about eight years old. That was an entire decade. However, if she had to tell him, she would tell him what her specialties were.

"Well obviously I have been stuck at an orphanage since I was eight years old so I have not exactly had the time to practice. However, my specialties include swordsmanship –I have a natural knack for handling any kind of blade-, stealth, and endurance. I can do other things of course but those three are my main abilities." She debated whether or not to tell him about the signature family…trait she'd inherited from her mother. Really she realized that in any of these cases all of her abilities will be milked toward the benefit of her captor and employer so naturally she hesitated to give them room to _completely _use her abilities. He nodded wordlessly.

"You sound proficient enough, I suppose however that this means I will have to re-educate you to your former level of prowess…perhaps even improve it." She could hear the batter stirring in the sterling silvery bowl he held. At this piece of information she believed that she had never felt more deflated, her stomach had a nervous cramp suddenly. How much stress would it take for a half-breed to develop an ulcer? Was it possible for her to get one?

"Pardon me whilst I weep for joy." At this she swore she heard him scoff. The preheating oven made the kitchen noticeably toastier than other parts of the manor at the moment. The chocolate in her hands began to melt slightly because of it, and so she had to reluctantly finish it off quickly. "When will this glorious event take place precisely?"

"As soon as possible. Do you often swing back and forth from one emotion to another this quickly?" She just sighed at the declaration.

"It is part of my nature yes. I suppose I have been a bit waspish though haven't I? Now that I've struck a bargain with the little earl I should be more receptive to what he has to say shouldn't I?" Her minty irises seemed alive with expressive thoughts that even the demon had difficulty naming precisely. "It does not mean that I trust either of you mind you, or that I like being here, however I have made a decision already. I apologize…but not to you." Her eyes sharpened once more, eyeing him with disdain. "Just to the child…" For a moment she seemed lost thought. The demon butler tilted his head at her.

An immortal plagued with human emotions, human aches…even perhaps a certain touch of tenderness, what a stressful way to spend eternity. She was just a girl, freshly ripened into a woman -though just barely it seemed- and already so tired and knowing. How much longer till she lost heart completely? According to what he had learned and observed half-breeds did not often live long enough to find out. What would such a state look like? What an engaging puzzlement she could turn out to be for his stimuli starved mind. Her darling ears drew back and her eyes narrowed when she caught his unnerving scrutiny. Uncomfortable? How droll.

"What?" She demanded. 'Get me away from this man!' The girl pleaded to nobody in particular. At this point she was not choosey. She hugged herself.

"You're feline traits really are quite charming." He smiled happily, stepping forward to touch the fluffy appendages on her head, only to have her reel away.

"MISTER MICHAELIS! ENOUGH OF THAT! IT IS COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL AND I WILL HAVE NONE OF IT!" She screeched, stomping her foot. He blinked with a very entertained expression. Never had he seen such a passionate female expression of wrath directed at him. It was quite interesting. Her vibrant green orbs filled with righteous venom for him. It was all actually quite amusing. Serenely, he folded his arms and smiled with eyes now closed smugly. She stared at him. What on earth was going through this man's head? She folded her arms feeling quite vulnerable.

"My, what a temper." He commented smoothly. The remark made her want to strangle him. Did he not take anything she said seriously? Her fingers itched to claw that smug expression off of his pretty face. Instead she willed her nerves into her normal calm, telling herself over and over that there was nothing to be angry about. She always was a bit high strung.

"Is there anything else you need?" She managed to ask the question calmly, looking at the wall…if she looked at him there was a good chance that she might attack him, which likely would not end well for her.

"I simply wanted to ask to you be mindful not to shed too much, maintenance is hard enough as it is and the young master's allergies will suffer." he smiled. That was not what he wanted to say at all, but winding her up felt like so much more fun. By the way her eyes lit up he knew he was doing a very fine job of it.

"I will be careful, Mister Michaels." she said neutrally but with a look in her eyes that said 'Back to Hades you vile hell-spawn' –insert proverbial flames flying from her eyes-.

"See that you are." he nodded. "Now then you may go, I am busy and you are right it is a bit distracting to have somebody hovering about while one cooks." Ivy was absolutely mortified by this declaration.

"Indeed...well since there is nothing else to say then I will be taking my leave." She hopped down to her feet curtly.

"Have a splendid day." Now he sounded like a harmless mother hen type…how disturbing. Her upper lip curled and she shuddered. She bit her tongue trying not to respond to the insincere call, slender fingers digging into her arms. It was then that it sank in. He would be keeping an eye on her? For how long? Oh this was dreadful. She could not handle him. Not alone like this. She might try to kill him, and that would not work out very well for her. He was baiting her, trying to make her angry she could see it. For what? She had no idea. Still she was a smart girl and she would not let him do it. Damn butler. She exited the vicinity self righteously, missing the grinning gaze that watched from behind raven bangs

Then she realized that after all of that...she hadn't even eaten something. She groaned, there was no way she was going back in there.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright so the ear explanation was pretty lame but I promise I could not come up with something better –sad I know-. However we have all seen the exaggerated slowness that the servants have been made to display both in the anime and in the manga so I figured them falling for it would not be that far-fetched. Considering Finnian's super strength and the way they just shrug off Pluto's 'demon dog' status. Also the way Sebby took him down with so little effort. Man they're slow. Anyway this took way longer than expected. Sorry for the delay, I'm trying to get this over-with quickly so that I can get back to regular updates. Ugh. So yeah um…hope it was good and uh…Ciao!


	5. That Maid Bullied

Disclaimer: Sorry I had no author's note this time but for some reason ff was being a heffa and didn't save my disclaimer. Perhaps it was Grell's doing. Oh well who knows bottom line every chapter needs a disclaimer so here it goes. I do not own anything within the canon kuroverse. Nothing but my OCs and plot line. So there is no need for lawyers or any of that schnitzel. Read on! CIAO!

**Chapter Five: That Maid Bullied**

_"There is no part of my life, upon which I can look back without pain." –_Florence Nightingale

Ivy believed that whatever manner of supreme deity that was out there either hated her, or just took great delight in her suffering for one reason or another. She stared at nothing in particular. She had decided that she liked Maylene. Maylene was sweet. Maylene did not aggravate her. Maylene did not insist in asking ridiculous questions like 'what organization did you work for?' Maylene did not nearly blow her up by accident in the kitchen on a constant basis in the brief time that she had been there. Most of all though, Maylene was not the one who seemed hell bent on making her quit her job. In fact, at the moment Maylene was also the one considerate enough to let her cling to her shoulders and hide behind her skirt when a certain soul-devouring beast loomed into the kitchen.

"You heard me did you not?" his voice snapped her out of her reverie. She let out a yip.

"…Yes." she finally said after a long silence.

"Well then, let's get on with it." he stated 'politely' but anybody with sense could see that his face was filled with mirth. Ivy let out a resigned sigh. Her hands were still kind of wet from the dishes. Upon realization she pulled her hands from the other maid as if burned.

"I'm so sorry Maylene!" she sputtered, groping for a towel. "L-let me help with that." she felt like smacking herself for behaving like such a spazz. It only worsened when Sebastian raised a brow at her and shook his head. She wanted the roll up the towel and beat him with it. Maylene was at a loss for words as the other girl dried the damp fabric on her shoulders. It was odd to see her so cool and collected all the time, but then when Sebastian was in the room she turned into an even more timid person than _she_ was. Was he really so scary to her? The maid with reddish hair sweat dropped at her newest co-worker's sudden spell of the jitters. "M-Mister Michaels…must I?" Ivy inquired dryly, regaining her bearings after her mildly awkward stuttering.

"I feel it is important to know of your specialties and fighting skills first hand if you are going to work here." he answered. There was a silence. The butler had never seen somebody look as deflated as the girl before him did right then. "The young master has many enemies and it is common place for intruders to appear and make attempts on his life. Such skills are necessary." Ivy blinked at him. How many people really felt that they had something to gain from killing a twelve year old? Of course she of all people would find herself stuck in a place like this. 'Well if he treats everybody in the same oh so courteous manner he treated me, then it is no shock.' She thought. However… it was plain to see that he was just a severely unhappy child, nothing more. Still that did not mean she felt like being alone with his devil of a butler.

"But…I…oh fine." she huffed, rolling down her sleeves after using the towel to roughly dry her hands. "Where exactly are we going to do this…test of sorts?" she asked dryly. She was stomping down her blatant fear of this man. He did not seem to acknowledge her discomfort with anything other than mild annoyance and indifference. Ivy was not sure which it was.

"This way." he walked off, leaving her to stare after him. She scoffed tossing the towel onto the counter.

"Well…excuuuse Me." she rolled her eyes and followed. If she had it her way she would snap him in two like the rod that was obviously so far up his ass that it was affecting the activity of his brain. Superiority complexes pissed her off to no end. Alas she could not be capable of that. Better to hurry up and finish this so she could get away, and possibly head for the stables. He would far more easily squash her between his fingers. Maybe swallow her like a meatball and floss away her remains with the strings of her new crisp, white apron. The navy blue Phantomhive uniform suited her better than she assumed it would.

On her first day he had left her pretty much alone after insulting her with that shedding comment of his, but then he'd push her harder than the others and have her take care of their messes. It seemed like he was purposely giving her hell. Eventually she had finished her work and hid in the stables afterwards, enjoying the company of her employer/…bitey little warden's riding horse. A beautiful animal it was; sleek build, well muscled, and a lovely, shiny black mane. Then Maylene showed her to an empty room in the servants' quarters where she would be sleeping. It would be the first room that was all hers and only hers.

In any case here she was, half way finished with her chores and being interrupted by the very person who gave her, her schedule so that she could show off whatever she knew of combat that had not been practiced in about ten to eleven years. Did she not have a right to be slightly nervous? Of course. Did she hate her supervisor? Most definitely. So why was she doing this then? She was deathly afraid of him that's why in spite of everything.

Anybody who literally had the supervisor from hell would be on their toes all the time. She did not know him. What she did know was that he was a demon, a full blood, high level, soul munching, D-E-M-O-N. Most demons were not to be trusted. She grew up knowing that. So naturally when he was around she would be more than a little bit uncomfortable about it. Due to this, he had the nerve to give her strange looks when she flinched upon seeing him. Well…technically he was not the only one who gave her strange looks, especially when she practically climbed a table to have some space between him and herself that morning. So what if she was a little bit paranoid.

Apparently, when Bard learned about her ears, he had become convinced that she was some sort of double agent, who worked for the lab or something. It was extremely aggravating. Plus just an hour ago he almost blew her up by accident in that kitchen…again. As for Finnian, she had not spoken to him very much since the bee sting incident. He seemed a bit shy. Very sweet and friendly though. Lost in thought, the neko girl tuned out her situation and moved on autopilot. Following the demon butler, like a silent shadow. Was it too late to run away? Ok so yes it was.

Sebastian walked ahead of the young girl, oblivious to her random train of thought. He did notice how quiet she always was. Good. He was not in the mood to make conversation anyway. True her ears gave her a certain charm, and really were…cute as some humans would say, but it took a lot more than a unique genetic lineage to make one fit to be a servant of Phantomhive. He would test out her credibility, and he was not going to hold back.

Ironically the last thing that ran through Ivy's mind was…'He will go easy on me…wont he? It is my first time in a long while after all…' The girl was filled with unease.

….

"You expect me to attack you?" Ivy stared incredulously. Green eyes wide like a threatened doe's frozen in the midst of a predators hunt. She could never bring herself to do it. Not because she did not want to hurt him, but every fiber of her being screamed at her to runaway from him if ever in a physical confrontation. It was her instinct to run away from the big, bad predator, not start shit that can get your arse chomped on like a Christmas goose. Who did he think she was? Wonder Half-ling? With a back bone the size of Europe? No sadly. She was not.

"It would be unfair to ask you to block one of my advances," he stated with a polite smile.

"But-!…but I do not want to spar with you at all in the first place!" she pouted, stomping her foot. The sound of her shoe echoed gently on the marble tile halls.

"Apologies, but it is crucial." he stated in response. He was unmoved obviously, after all he was a demon on a schedule.

"You are asking me to go against eighteen years of practiced instinct, it is not so simple." Ivy muttered. "It is obvious that I do not stand a chance, therefore my hope of surviving an encounter with somebody well…at your level would be in running away, not attacking." She pointed out.

"Ah, but a cornered beast always fights to the death when no hope reveals itself." Sebastian stated with a smile. Ivy felt a chill. She was not really cornered was she? Well she was alone with him…but…whom was she kidding. He took a step forward and she took one back.

"You…you wouldn't..." she backed away from him some more upon noting his blank, serious gaze. He let his lip quirk upwards slightly. "No…no." she held up a finger at him warily.

"Miss Ivy, I would rather not have to use force on a lady but if I must…well then I must." He was tightening his gloves calmly. Suddenly Ivy felt a bit sick.

"Can I please just finish working first at the very least?" her eyes were filled with sincere pleading. He paid her no mind. She was not _that _cute.

"You are stalling again." He stated flatly. She folded her arms and frowned. He was just standing there, arms folded, and seemingly unarmed. Ivy internally scoffed at the idea. As if he would need a weapon to use her as a football. He obviously knew it too. Just by the arrogant look on his face she could tell that he knew it. If the young half-breed could have gotten away with it, she would have never hesitated to cause him physical harm. Did that make her a coward? She thought about it for a spell.

Nah, there was a difference between bravery and just plain stupidity. She was unaware of the long silence she was creating with her silent reflections.

She had spaced out? Odd. The butler tilted his head a bit. "I am waiting." He stated aloud. She snapped out of her reverie enough to frown at him once again.

"…Fine." she muttered in defeat. He gave a smug smirk.

Something told Ivy he liked to see her suffer. Great. A sadist. It was going to be even more difficult to do this in a damn dress, but she would just have to manage since he seemed so adamant. She closed her eyes and took a breath before sliding into her old stance. All right she remembered it fairly well, she shifted a bit, testing the firmness of her footing. Her eyes were icy and sharp when she opened them again. 'Just imagine, that you are protecting the young ones back at the orphanage.' she told herself to make it easier. How did she used to do this again? Ah yes. She slid her foot back and darted forward with a speed inhuman. His face held a grin as she neared. She jackknifed to the left just before any sort of impact could be made and was behind him in the blink of an eye aiming a decent roundhouse kick to his head. Of course he easily caught it.

"Your speed impressive." he stated, still holding her ankle high in the air. Her green eyes were narrowed at him, her leg shaking as she strained against his hold. She lifted her other leg with a snarl, using his grip for support and trying for another blow to his head. He released her other leg and ducked back as she spiraled in the air to gain balance. She landed with the grace of a gymnast into a crouch on the floor, not missing a beat as she moved to knock his feet from under him. He jumped to avoid the swinging leg, and flipped over her. She kicked at his face in mid air and he barely avoided it as he landed on his feet. Was she getting bolder? As she launched her leg up with his crotch in mind he confirmed it.

With a glare he caught her leg between his own and swung her around. She let out a strangled yelp. "Ow!" she hissed. If she hadn't been wearing those damn skirts she could have gotten away from his hold. He pushed her with his foot with such force that she slid across the floor, the friction burning her exposed skin.

Firmly she planted the rubber heels of her brand new boots down and launched to her feet. "That. Hurt." she growled. A dark expression was on her face. He just gave her a smug look.

"Come." he motioned for her to try again. Her upper lip curled into an animalistic sneer. She darted for him and felt her heart skip a beat as he did the same. Oh. Shit. Her logical mind kicked in once again. She barely avoided a swipe by grabbing onto his wrist, twisting around and thrusting a defensive elbow toward his face. His hand darted up to block it just in time.

He pushed her forward roughly and placed a leg in front of her tripping her to the floor. She caught herself before impact but before she could roll away he stomped down on her back, pinning her painfully to the floor.

"GHHACK!" the wind was knocked out of her. Her limbs splayed out unceremoniously around her like a tired, panting spider.

"Try harder, Miss Ivy." He advised. 'Well gee thanks for the tip, you tit.'

She growled low, trying to get away from him. She writhed and he pushed down harder. "AAHH! Stop it! You're crushing my chest!" she felt the tell tale pain of her breasts being squashed against the hard floor.

"You should be able to stop me." he tilted his head, watching her squirm. The low whiney sounds of an aggressive cat sounded from her lips. She lifted her head and glared over her shoulder up at him. Her hair by this time was half in a bun, half disheveled.

"YOU BIG BULLY!-ACK!- THIS IS NOT BLOODY FAIR! YOU ARE BIGGER, STRONGER, FAR MORE POWERFUL, AND EXPERIENCED THAN EVEN THE BEST OF MY CLAN! I HAVE NOT FOUGHT ANYBODY SINCE I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD YOU WANKER! I'M RUSTY! GET OFF!" She shook her fist at him.

"Yelling and screaming wont help you, but you may continue if you like." The butler shrugged. She hissed at him. "You are not fighting for your life." He stated. He could feel her chest cavity expanding and retracting under his foot as she took in labored breaths. He could very easily just crush her.

"WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TRYING TO KILL EACHOTHER YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" she snapped. He pushed her forward a bit. "OW!"

"If you do not take this seriously it hardly counts as proper skill, what if you had to fight somebody like me?" he inquired. She let out a light sarcastic laugh.

"I would never fight somebody like you. Survival dictates that I run away from you as I have said a _million_ times before." she muttered in utter exasperation. She head walled against the floor.

"Try harder." he told her evenly.

"I AM TRYING!" she arched her back angrily, only to be pushed down again. "UGH! BUT EVERYTIME I MOVE YOU CRUSH ME EVEN MORE!" At this point her eyes were in slits.

"Try to focus on your objective, rather than how angry you are. It will not do to let your emotions get the better of you." he responded. She wanted to kick him in the face, smash his head against the hard floor, impale him on a lamppost, castrate him and wear his penis on her belt, or better shove him into a fountain of holy water and exorcise him.

"RIGHT NOW I HAVE MANY OBJECTIVES! WHICH ONE TO DO YOU MEAN? THE ONE WITH ME TEARING OUT YOUR SPINE! OR THE ONE WITH ME ROASTING YOU ON A SPIT!" she roared.

"Apologies if I find either option a bit difficult to picture right now." He dryly answered, eyeing her rather undignified position under his shoe.

"FUCK YOURSELF!" The young girl shrieked at him with venom.

"What a mouth you have, Miss Ivy." His mouth pull into a frightening smile as he looked down at her. There was an inhuman hiss as she hit the back of his knee with force enough to break anybody else's leg, and flipped onto her back before being pinned again.

"Oof!" her teeth were sharp and cat like now, clenched in frustration.

"Your teeth are changed." he observed with interest. "Can you shape-shift like the full breeds?" he inquired casually. She was ignoring him in favor of gripping his ankle in both hands with an iron grip, trying to push him away. "You have a nasty temper." he remarked.

She straightened her legs and swung them up and around, knocking the butler off of his feet. Her fist nearly slamming into his face as he agilely touched the floor and flipped to his feet. There was not even a moment to pause as he suddenly began to dodge slashing claws. He moved back as she relentlessly tore forward, spiraling, swinging, and kicking. He jumped over her. His vest had a tear and he frowned in disapproval. The girl whipped around to face him. Panting and flushed. Still glaring. Her hair was a perfect mess now.

Suddenly, she noticed that he was holding a fistful of butter knives and forks. Oh. Hell. No. Her eyes popped. His lips quirked at her response. "Oh no…no…nooo. No you don't, that is not fair!" she backed away holding up a finger.

"You started it." He reminded.

"Okay, okay…stop…do- KYAAAHHH!" and she found herself moving about like a circus acrobat just in order to dodge all the flying utensils. "Come on." she mentally counted a rhythm for herself. 'One, two, three four, cartwheel, back flip, split, flip flop, cart whee-aahh! Spread eagle!' she recited mentally as she adapted to the attacks. Ignoring the way her skirt fell whenever she took on specific positions. Damn it.

This opportunity gave Sebastian a chance to see her tail, and see it he did. It was unexpected but there it was. It was fluffy and colored like her ears, with long fur like an Angora or Persian perhaps, except it had a tabby pattern of black and silver, which neither breed often sported. Refocusing onto the fight, he resisted the urge to laugh at how ridiculous she looked, dancing about.

His expression clearly said that he was humiliating her on purpose. Oh, he was going to pay for this. She smirked at him. He wanted to throw stuff? Okay then. The neko was a blur of movement as she ran for the wall and used the curtain to block the silverware. She then tossed the bust of a statue at him with the ease that could never be found in a human her size.

Sebastian caught it with surprised anger. She was running at him again. He backed off, placing it down with swift precision. This time he waited again. Instead of lunging though, she jumped over him. That was when he noticed the row of forks whizzing toward him from under her. He knocked them aside with his arm, and turned around catching her ankle. She let out a yelp and was hanging upside down from his hand in a very undignified manner. "Might I just say you have a very charming tail as well." He stated with a hint of amusement at her expression.

"PUT ME DOWN NOW, OR I KICK YOU IN THE FACE!" she demanded, blushing and trying to forget about the black and white bloomers and suspenders she was wearing. He dropped her, making her grunt.

"You are quite talented for somebody who has not been in a spar since childhood." he declared. He called this a spar! Once again she attacked him.

"YOU BASTARD!" she shouted. Her voice made for quite a war cry when she wanted it to. He easily restrained her attempts on his person. She was now in a painful hold with her arms behind her back. "Ow! Ow..ow…ow…ow. Owowowowow!" he pushed her into a wall.

"None of that." he stated curtly. "You tore a hole in the vest the young master gave me, and you nearly vandalized expensive artwork." he scolded.

"You are breaking my arm." Ivy told him, trying to calm her nerves and endure the pain without a wince. He released her and she nearly collapsed. She hated it when people made her feel small and useless. He was right up there with them it seemed. Tears prickled. "I'm finished," she uttered quietly, dark bangs covering her eyes as she slowly rose to her feet.

"Are you badly injured?" he asked.

In response she threw a sword at him from a suit of armor. It would have nailed anybody else to wall by the crotch. Sebastian only dodged it barely. Bard walked in just in time to witness the deed and stared wide-eyed at the scene. Ivy did not even notice him standing there. She brushed past him stoically and slammed the door so hard behind her that it cracked. The head chef let out a low whistle. Sebastian pulled the sword out of where it had impaled itself into the wall. He frowned at hole left in its place. "…Oh shit…." Bard remarked. "She's one hot tamale isn't she?" he commented.

Sebastian sheathed the sword back where it belonged. "A spitfire if I have ever met one indeed." He nodded.

….

Maylene was surprised to suddenly have the new maid throw her arms around her shoulders miserably. Her hair was loose now for some reason, and she was crying. "Miss Ivy…?" she trailed off, puzzled at the sudden situation in which she found herself.

"Oh what a horrible, _horrible _beast!" Ivy blubbered. Maylene had no idea what she talking about, but hugged her back anyway. The other girl's shoulders shaking.

"Are you okay?" she asked the black haired neko. Ivy pulled away apologetically. Sniffing a bit.

"I am fine." she nodded. "I will be okay." The girl amended, smoothing out her skirts. She felt so small. All she wanted was to get a job and get out of here. All she could think of to alleviate her nerves and bruised ego was the same old nasty habit she grew up with. "Can we eat something?" she asked the other maid.

"Me too!" Finni bounded into the room as soon as he heard the word 'eat'.

"I guess, if Mister Sebastian doesn't mind." Maylene shrugged helplessly. Their inventory was very carefully rationed. Ivy's hands fist at her sides.

"Well he can just sh-…um…I mean…I am sure he wouldn't mind too much." Ivy had nearly snapped, thinking about him. That brute. If there was one thing she hated, it was bullies. He liked to see her angry, and Ivy was certain that the reason he did was because it gave him an excuse to squash her dignity and make her feel puny. Once again t only these two things were indisputably clear. He did not like her, and she did not like him.

"You guys do not have to worry…I will make something myself, that way if he does mind I will get in trouble not you." she assured. "I wont take too much anyway, just enough to bake some cupcakes and share them." she added, fiddling with her hair again. Great. She lost her hair tie back there. She pulled another one out and began to redo her bun.

"Sounds like fun!" Finni shrugged cheerfully. Ivy gave a soft smile. Finishing up, she sighed and turned to them.

"Alright, I like chocolate, so do either of you prefer vanilla?" she asked cheerfully. Neither of them seemed to care either way. They both either shook their heads or shrugged. "Okay, let me look at the supply." she headed for the kitchen. Comfort food. She needed comfort food.

The day after tomorrow would be her birthday. Well whoop de doo. One more year alive for the half-breed. So she was able to survive another of the Earth's trips around the sun. Well no matter if her birthdays were lonely. She could make the best of it, even if she did have to celebrate it alone. Nobody would have to know. She had bigger problems to think about anyway. Like practicing for her next 'lesson' or 'assessment' with her new demon supervisor.

….

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Miss Ivy?" Maylene fidgeted a great deal. Needless to say after being awakened extra early by a suddenly quite forward, enthusiastic new maid to finish their chores early, only to be confronted with a half mad idea involving guns, possible obstacles courses, and fruits… then dragged to the roof of a manor with her rifles in hand…her nerves were just a little bit frazzled. They could get into trouble if they caused a false alarm…granted they were in the back where no potential guests could see them but still.

According to her newest co-worker, she needed to practice her rusted skills and wanted to try a thing or two on her own without the aid of the already so busy Mister Sebastian.

"Stop worrying!" Said girl called up at her laughingly. Maylene could barely hear her but it seemed that she heard Maylene just fine. The idea was for her to shoot at Ivy as if she were an intruder and she in turn had to avoid the bullets in order to obtain a simple object that had been made her target: a green apple. The fruit sat innocently on a winged statue above a rose bush or two. "I told you that I want your very best, save for aiming at vitals in the beginning. Once I assess my success and feel confident, then I want you to shoot to kill!" The bespectacled maid nearly dropped her weapon.

"KILL?" The more experienced maid exclaimed, her voice cracking comically. The very idea was horror personified. Once again the strange feline girl down below just giggled. She had to be utterly insane.

"Not yet you goose! I'll tell you when! Oh and you look lovely without those lenses by the way!" Any of Maylene's protests were completely forgotten as she became flustered by the compliment. Nobody but Mister Sebastian had ever called her eyes lovely before…and that had been once, just before he hired her. "You paying attention? I'm going to run out of eye shot to give myself enough momentum, so once I'm out of range let me know with a signal shot!" The maid barely caught it, but made out her words nonetheless.

"I still can't believe I'm doing this with you!" She called, still nervous and apprehensive. Honestly what had happened to the shy nervous thing she had encountered yesterday? This Miss Ivy was strange…perhaps she was finally settling into the swing of things but…this was just madness! Had she gone suicidal?

"Do not forget the signal, and again not to worry! I will be fine!" She seemed so confident that she would be fine, that Maylene was not sure whether to be relieved and take heart, or to be mildly insulted. Her long-range eyes easily zeroed in on the other girl as she began to vanish among the shrubs and emerald-like greenery. The sun had only just begun to completely illuminate their surroundings so her shot would be even better. Did Miss Ivy really know what she was doing?

Eventually, Ivy was finally out of her sights though it took long enough. Her eyes were never easily bested. The ex-assassin felt a familiar hesitance that she had not felt in a long time as she readied her weapon. Would she really be okay? She had the advantage of knowing that Ivy was coming, but not from where…and Ivy…she knew where Maylene would be situated and had the choice of how to make her move, but she was unarmed, and had no exact estimate of Maylene's ability as a sniper.

Finally, after a few moments of closing her eyes and assessing the situation, her finger danced around the trigger…and without further ado she aimed upwards and fired.

….

There was the signal. Ivy's keen pupils pulled into catlike slits for just a moment as she caught sight of the smoke, the distant boom echoing ghostlike around her equally keen ears. She had better get started before Mister Michaelis caught wind of what the ladies of the house were up to. Certainly it was a very plausible disaster waiting to happen but perhaps that is what made it seem like such a good idea to the neko. If something went wrong she could count it as getting him back for how he had treated her the day before, and get in some practice at the same time. A two birds with one stone deal, not bad, eh?

With a deep breath of concentration to prepare she saw herself off. Oh how long had it been since she had felt the freshness of a tree born breeze. The orphanage had been so stale in every particular. She allowed her eyes to flutter shut serenely, focusing her senses. Maylene could have changed her position for all she knew; thus it was best to remain as alert as was possible. To survey the layout as best as her senses would allow. Her feet made no sound to any human ear as she gracefully breezed across the spacious manor grounds, still shielded by the cover of English oaks. How very traditional, a selection they were for greenery. Mmm…well to be fair they had their fair share of lovely Douglas furs planted for the fast approaching winter no doubt.

The neko maid internally berated herself. Only she would think of something so pointless and off topic as landscaping during such a crucial exercise. Perhaps she was just not as frightened this time as she was when Sebastian as an opponent –with good reason- and thus found it far easier to lose focus because of it. Such a thing could be a lethal flaw; she would have to correct it. As she neared the clearing in which her quarry awaited her arrival, she cartwheeled and kicked off of a tree trunk to leap into some nearby branches. She had heard from Sebastian's brief summary of the household members within the Phantomhive manor that Maylene had spectacular eyes for a human. She would have to stage her assault from the least likely of places, but she would have to do it quick. If she took too long to make her move her fellow maid would suspect that she was going to try something unusual. This would make a talented assassin like her search treetops quite keenly. Come to think of it Ivy had never gone against a sniper before but her mother's other worldly fast arrows were probably much more formidable. As expected, she could no longer see the sniper maid. Ha ha ha. A small smile tugged at her lips as she realized that she was actually having fun. She decided that she liked this Maylene more and more by the minute.

To her surprise, just as the darted from the tree a bullet shot the branch she had perched on clean off of the tree. This made her lose the momentum she would have gained by kicking off of the limb and instead she had to make a graceful last minute landing and somersault away from the splinters. '…And the destruction begins early.' She thought a bit forlornly…mostly out of pity for the tree. She barely had time to think however, before bullets rained down to keep her from reaching her goal.

Dirt and turf from the violently disturbed grass sprang through the air, and Ivy was more and more impressed. Still it was clear that she really had gotten slower than she would have liked to be. Her mother had made her run drills on obstacles courses with the other full breed children convinced that she could do it no matter how much she cried or protested. It might have seemed cruel, but in the world Ivy had grown in…she had become quite grateful for it. As a half-breed, she had a severe handicap compared to the others, but her determination and stubborn persistence was far greater than theirs, and so she would always make it through. The memories impacted her greatly as she bolted toward the apple.

The other children seemed to have been taught by their progenitors to hate her no doubt, and the fact that she was placed with them like a peer only seemed to fan the resentful flames they harbored. Nobody could stop Salena Ashcroft from doing whatever the hell she wanted, being a daughter from among the finest warrior family in the clan. Still they would hurt her and sabotage her any chance they got during these excursions. A stream of shots had her leaping backwards and cartwheeling. "Alright, May…where are you?" She uttered under her breath.

Silently a deep breath was taken and she focused on her senses, feeling for presences. Getting a good feel for the situation the neko was once again on the move. She could feel her old evasion techniques coming back to her. Bullets seemed to move so slow to her as her motions grew more and more fluid and wraith-like. Soon she would no longer need to fear kill shots. Perhaps she was not as rusty as she thought...but she was still out of practice. Damn it! 'Almost there…this time for sure…come on.' Ivy encouraged herself determinedly.

Leaping into the air was a risky move but so was climbing she supposed. With a giddy smile she simply ran right up the marble statue ready to seize the green apple. When she reached the top however, one knee on each wing she blinked aghast that the fruit was no longer there. 'What in the-' looking down, her gaze quickly caught sight of the plummeting target. "Oh just my luck." She bristled just before more shots came her way, making her back bend to avoid them and flip down to her feet. The shots were accurate but still shattered the statues wings. Woops. Ivy easily barrel rolled out from behind the sculpture but just as she hurried to secure the apple her hand fell upon the polished leather of a black pair of loafers. Her heart sank at the shadow that loomed over her. Her ears drooped, and needless to say…there were no more gunshots.

Slowly green eyes peered up at the butler from beneath long eyelashes, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Good morning, Mister Michaelis. I'm –er-" A hand raised to silence her. He was having none of it so early in the morning. He went from staring down his nose at the harmless looking girl to taking in the damage of the garden. It was nothing compared to the caliber of disaster wrought upon the estate by Finnian, however she was not much better than the others. _Purposely_ looking for trouble? How impertinent.

"Is this what you're crawling along the ground looking for?" In his other gloved hand he held the shining green apple. Ivy awkwardly sat on her knees and scraped a nail over a grass stain on her apron. Think damn it! "You are a very difficult girl." The aura around him darkened. Ivy's first instinct was fear and submission however, there was also a small part of her that grew angry at being scolded for her outrageous behavior when she was only retaliating after his mistreatment of her…and rather mildly too. She shrank and glared at the ground before sharply glaring up at him.

With a huff she folded her arms. "I am not difficult at all. It serves you right for being such an- Eep!" She cut herself off with a sharp cry when he stooped toward her, only to blink in embarrassment when all he did was hand her the apple. Hastily she took it and looked back at him to find him suddenly regarding her closely with a tilted head. Now what? Something was amusing him it seemed. "Oh what is it now?" She groaned, withering.

"Nothing at all, Miss Ivy. It simply seems as though you have begun to adapt very quickly to manor life. Such a setting must suit your tastes quite well, forgive me but you seem to have…blossomed over night." He smiled politely. 'Eeewwww! He is being oily now! He can be oily too? Good Lord was I Attila the Hun in another life?' Ivy gritted her teeth and hugged herself, feeling very disturbed. She then kept her arms folded and raised an eyebrow calmly.

"I suppose that statement is to be followed with a 'thank you', never the less I was under the impression that you had something of more importance to discuss with me…or perhaps homeless cripples are scarce today?" She muttered dryly. A single eyebrow rose at this as he continued to smirk in that slimy manner that only she could detect as far as she knew. "Where is Maylene?" To weasel out of a conversation with creepy, potential serial killer, or not to weasel out of it. That was the question. Weaseling wins.

"Dealt with accordingly." Weaseling fails.

"Mister Michaelis! It was I who dragged her into this whole exercise. I hope that you didn't-"

"A mere lecture on priorities Miss Ivy, no need for such dramatics. In any case Miss Maylene is a grown woman –though she fails to behave like one regularly- and is responsible for her own decisions. I would be more concerned for myself right now if I were you." At this her glare fell into a suddenly very wary expression.

"What do you mean?" Her voice sounded calm enough but he was able to catch the slight hitch in it…she just knew he could catch it. His dark eyes danced smugly as he ever so gracefully offered her a pristine gloved hand. She blinked flatly at the appendage as if not understanding his intent and not particularly caring too understand it.

"Please stand, Miss Ivy." The half neko could have sworn that she could see sparkles radiating around him. Immediately she drew back further, eyeing his hand like it was laced with poison. When she finally consented to stand, she did so entirely without the help of the butler, ignoring his hand.

"Alright… I should apologize in advance for being insubordinate…and…I know I will be punished for this, however you had it coming."

"Oh?"

"Mister Michaelis, if there is one thing I will not tolerate, it is being bullied. I promise that I will not misbehave anymore but only if I am treated accordingly…I could have done far worse, couldn't I have?" He picked up on the subtle hint of a threat and nearly smirked all the more. "Besides. I felt the need to practice my skills, preferably without your -oh so thorough- assistance."

"Oh really? Hmm…and how exactly did your 'lesson' with Miss Maylene go today? Successful?" Oh and now he was mocking her. Lovely.

"It _would _have been eventually, if you didn't insist on sticking your pointy nose everywhere it isn't wanted. In any case I do not make it a habit to discuss my successes or lack there of in any sort of conversation, I find it very self-centered. If you wish to know, I'm afraid you'll have to speak with Maylene." She walked around him with her nose in the air.

He scoffed and turned to face her retreating figure. "Never the less, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to complete your tasks for the day." He told her suavely. Ivy blinked in astonishment.

"But…I woke up extra early today for the _sole sake_ of my chores! I just finished them!" She protested indignantly. He was once again unmoved.

"Redo them, I've suddenly decided that I find your efforts today unsatisfactory. Oh and since you have made me late for tea, I will have you report back to me once I've had time to decide your punishment." Ah, the joy of punishment when dealt out by those you inevitably hate. Oh how wonderful it would feel to permanently destroy that expression of his. She wanted to punch him in the face so hard that it completely sank into his head never to be seen again. Oh the pleasant hum of satisfaction that would follow something like that…however…she was far more likely to have her knuckles shattered on his weird iron head…or he could just chomp off her hand mid swing. Not at all a pleasant option to ponder, thus her hand would remain where it was. Instead she gave a 'pleasant' smile that matched his.

"Certainly, Mister Michaelis. Right away." Ah, the demure reserved tones of an English maid. She performed them better than Sebastian had assumed she would. In fact she pulled it off flawlessly, especially considering her ill humor. He foresaw that she would fit into the part of a Phantomhive servant very nicely. "I deeply apologize for my negligence, it will not happen again." A quick bob of a curtsy and she scampered off, sarcasm detectable for him in her manner but completely invisible to anybody else who might have observed. Hm, what a funny little thing she was.

"Late for tea." She muttered to herself irately. As if such damage would take him much time to repair. "Late by what? Thirty seconds? Oh if I'm going to be punished for making him late for tea, then he is going to be _late _for tea if I have anything to say about it." With a decisive swish of her tail she straightened her apron and stalked toward the kitchen.

….

Ciel, …The Earl of the Phanthomhive household. He had been in charge of his servants for an approximate two years, soon going on three. The same time frame could be said for the contract with his most prominent servant. His butler: The Demon: Sebastian Michaelis. His schedule had never been thrown off easily not even with the blunders of the other servants. During these approximate two years his afternoon tea had always been in his study the very second the allotted time struck on the clock that rested across from his large mahogany desk. Unless something went dreadfully wrong of course. Up on the wall above the door, it rested. His single ocean blue eye focused on the position of the narrow hands and a thin eyebrow rose. It seemed he was late by a few minutes today.

As if his thoughts had been heard the butler rolled the tea tray into the office, completely unruffled as if there was no problem at all. "Five minutes, Sebastian. Have there been any unexpected…'guests' today?" His young but husky and gruff voice intoned the question with the smooth precision of any grown English Lord. His butler simply smiled serenely.

"None, My Lord." He assured as he began to pour the steaming beverage. Ciel found it very irritating when his butler danced around a subject. It was clear to him that he would have to be more direct…but his need to out-do the wit of his servant made him hold back on it for a moment. He simply regarded him intently from over the interlaced fingers he held under his nose.

"Then you have slowed? Is there something ailing you?" Sebastian seemed almost amused at the statement, before replacing the teapot back onto the rounded silver tray.

"Certainly not. Your concern for my welfare is most appreciated, my lord but I dare say that it should not be wasted on myself." Oh he was good, wasn't he? Ciel's mouth twitched into a grin despite himself.

"Then I can venture to say that you are slacking today?" Ha, Sebastian would never allot to having his aesthetics as a butler impugned. Until the contract was over, he _would be_ the perfect butler, he _was _the perfect butler and he would never allow anybody to even hint otherwise. Never mind having his own master say so. As if to confirm the boy's thought process…the demon paused. He had no choice but to elaborate. Still he recovered quite nicely.

"Young master. I would never be lax in my duties to you or the house. A simple issue with the servants is something that should be beyond any concern of yours, please do not worry about it." Ha so it was the servants…but they had never by themselves thrown him off schedule by five minutes before. What could it be? Then it clicked…the only thing that had changed about the servants was the latest addition to the board. The half-bred queen of Sheba, and mistress of juvenile satire, Miss Ivy. "Today's tea –as it is afternoon- is a simple peppermint brew."

The boy took his cup and nodded. "Am I to guess that Miss Ivy is not adjusting very well?" The young earl asked casually before taking a languid sip, staring ahead. She was a servant but she was also an ultimate element to his case and thus important enough to ask after without making the butler think _too _much of it.

Now the butler straightened. "Ah, Miss Ivy. She is a very passionate girl but not at all incompetent, actually she plays the role of a maid rather nicely…it could be said however that she has a mild problem with authority, then again it could be due to the circumstances in which she finds herself." He informed. Ciel closed his eyes placidly and placed the porcelain cup back onto its saucer, a grin forming on his face smugly. Ciel was an authority on how irritating Sebastian Michaelis could be. No doubt Miss Ivy was coming to learn this first hand.

"So, she has been giving you a hard time, has she?" _She hates you doesn't she?_

"All day since the incident this morning. It seems that while performing her duties she has been quite eager to make every task harder for me than it has to be." He spoke honestly with a hint of dismissiveness in his voice. "She will tire of it as she is already resigned to taking orders and staying at the manor." The boy hummed in response.

"Teach her in the ways of a Phantomhive servant. Her handling is entirely up to you. I don't care how you get her to behave so long as it is not inhumane or something of the sort. She is a servant of Phantomhive and is to be treated as one, besides it is as you said she is a 'passionate' creature…she will react unpredictably to such a thing." With a nod of acknowledgement the butler gave a slight grin of amusement. His master was a kind soul in spite of all of its blackening though he would never admit to such a thing, especially not in front of him.

"Of course, young master. I can not disgrace the Phantomhive name." Though having full responsibility of such a difficult girl could prove troublesome to others, it promised to be a greatly diverting way for a creature like him to occupy his normally idle hours. After such a long time of having nothing to challenge his intellect, she would be a welcome exercise. She had already proven such a thing on her own. "She will make a splendid maid yet under my instruction." He bowed low at the waist with a hand over his chest.

Ciel grunted and gave a nod. "Very good, and she will need weapons of her own like all the others of course. Revolvers to match Maylene might do quite nicely as they are easier to conceal around guests and potential threats." He seemed to now be done with this topic, all business once again. "Fetch them as soon as possible. That is all for now, Sebastian." He gave a dismissive wave of his black gloved hand, the deep blue ring on his thumb glinting in the light briefly as he did so. "You are dismissed."

With that, the butler bowed once again and excused himself. "Very well, young master. I will return for the china shortly." Breezing out of the room in his usual crisp, dutiful manner, he checked his pocket watch once more. "…And now I shall have to catch up on those lost minutes of mine." After all, what sort of Phantomhive butler would he be if he could not come back from this simple little set back?

….

"The violins sing with joyful ring, the violins sing with joyful ring." Ivy sang in a low yet cheerful voice as she dusted out the wine cellar. She slid the ladder along the shelves gracefully, actually having fun for once. Singing was habitual for her, so she took the impulse as a good sign that she was slowly falling back into her element despite the strange and potentially hostile surroundings in which she found herself. "The clarinets, the clarin-AAAHHHHH!" With a shriek she nearly knocked over several bottles as the ladder was brought to a jerking halt. Only one person in that entire manor would do something like this. He had snuck up on her…again.

"MISTER MICHAELIS!" Flashing green eyes whipped downward to look at the offender, still casually clutching the ladder's wooden beam and looking back up at her rather flatly. "I HAVE HAD QUITE ENOUGH OF THAT! YOU ARE BEING COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL!" When he just gave the slightest of grins in response she nearly snatched out a bottle and chucked it at him but managed to refrain. Resting her head on the ladder's arm with an annoyed sigh she spoke again. "What do you want?"

"Sorry to have startled you." He gave her a winning smile. _No he isn't. _She had tried her darnedest to make him late serving the Earl his tea but she had only managed to throw him off his schedule by five measly minutes. A disappointment. If she had been human she would have never been able to even put a dent in it.A roll of her eyes indicated for him to continue. "I am guessing that after spending ten years in an orphanage that you are not familiar with the etiquette and process meant for serving tea." It was more of a statement than a question, and Ivy sincerely wished that she could say otherwise without lying. Instead she just sighed miserably.

"Thank you so much for telling me that such a thing was actually in the job description. The others don't have to serve tea to your stuffy guests. Why me?" The pout was inevitable.

"The others can't do anything right. It would save me time if you were able to tend to guests if only just in some small measure. You are pleasant enough to look at and silent enough to disregard, you would do well in the parlor. The young master has ordered me to over-see your progress. Come down, I shall have to instruct you." He ordered dutifully in that naturally stiff way of his. Another sigh escaped her lips.

"Very well." She slid briskly down, feet gracefully touching the floor without a sound. "…But I swear, if you get on my case in an at all unnecessary manner I _will _burn down the greenhouse." Honestly she was not certain whether to be relieved, threatened, or insulted when he responded with a laugh. "Mister Michaelis, please _try _to be a professional about this?" Ivy groaned imploringly. He led her away by the arm.

"Miss Ivy, I'm nothing if not always professional."

"Ha. You're hilarious. Please don't touch me." She shrugged her arm away from his touch and walked ahead. The demon smirked after her, genuinely curious.

* * *

Author's Note: Just remember folks, read the summaries and author's notes and you will never be confused. As for the chapter…ugh. -**Collapses**-. x_x. Finally finished, suddenly I was having trouble keeping everyone in character again. Hopefully it's still satisfactory later on lol. I forgot all the things I planned to say in the author's note again so…I r sorry. Can't wait to finish only one thing to clear up before I'm home free! Yay! I was disappointed that the latest manga update only had twenty-one pages. How sad. I'm also curious to see more of Lizzie now after the Easter egg hunt, learning how perceptive she really is. Anywhoodles uh…Ciao!


	6. That Maid Brewing Rivalry

Author's Note: Alright. Problem, I'm having a problem here. That 'one last issue' of mine that I have to work out is more difficult than I thought. However if you are able to read this author's note that means that I have most likely come up with a jolly good solution to the problem that at least satisfies me. Wow so many things uprooted. Fear not my adorable readers! I shall defeat this scourge and there shall be much fan-girling, and cracking ups, and d'awwws, and d'flirtings all around, and I WILL RETURN TO MY FIC-TASTIC UPDATES! ***raising fist in determination with a flaming background***. For now well I'm just gonna have to lie down and think about this like a boss. Ciao to all and to all a bonjour!

Disclaimer: I am just having my fun with Kuro, I own absolutely nothing except for my OCs and plot –pursued at every opportunity- xD. So nobody has any right to bring the law into this. :-P

**Chapter Six: That Maid Brewing Rivalry**

_"The woman who appeals to a man's vanity may stimulate him, the woman who appeals to his heart may attract him, but it is the woman who appeals to his imagination who gets him" – _Helen Rowland.

What a better way to spend your birthday than waking up extra early to finish your chores. Well hard work pays off. Especially if Ivy truly wanted to de-rust her skills. She owed that damn demon a good skewer. Humans were one thing…they were easy. No way she could ever count taking down a human as a fight. Sebastian was no human.

If she had her way she would cut him to ribbons. If only she were a full breed. She would have a better chance. In any case, here she was in a secluded area, practicing her old techniques. If only she still had her sword. Or her Mother's sword…hand crafted by demons…it was sure to be useful. Alas that was not going to happen. Instead she would just have to make sure she fought at her peak. He would still probably kick her arse back to…well…wherever neko demons originated from, (they had become far too diverse for her to truly tell when she was little) but back on topic, she would not look like a complete spazz like the last time.

…

It seemed as though everything was peaceful at the manor today. No explosions. No lost china. The garden was fine. Meals ran smoothly. The butler had not even had to instruct the newest member of the household yet today. Not that she would appreciate it. Never the less he was supposed to watch her every move. Her motives still were questionable. If left out of sight for too long she could have plenty of time to carry out anything without their knowledge. That would be an uncomfortable gamble. So he would have to check up on her as much as possible between duties. The young master truly enjoyed making things harder for him.

Where was she now? Early in the morning he had noticed that she was up extra early working. In a rush to finish her chores perhaps? Now why would that be? Perhaps she had something planned for the rest of her day. The problem was what would that be? She could be hoping to go out and look for work. Already. However, that could not be the case considering she would have told him and that he could still feel the tell tale vibe of another demonic presence in the manor. What could she be possibly doing on her own? What kind of butler would he be if he did not find out? He still needed to give her weapons to test out which she worked best with. It seemed that she was outside somewhere.

….

Ivy could feel her senses quickly sharpening the more she used them. The half cat demon was also starting to feel more like herself lately. When it was just she and the other servants of course. There was simply no way that she could possibly get used to being in the same room as…. him. She shivered.

'No.' she mentally scolded herself. She would not be afraid of him. She would train herself to remain calm. There was nothing he could do to her without getting into trouble with his master in any case. So what was the big problem? She gritted her teeth as she danced about with an invisible opponent. It was just not the same without a sparring partner. Sadly nobody else was a specialist in swords, and all of their fighting styles. The girl would roast in hell before willingly picking Sebastian as a sparring partner….ever. She only planned on giving it her all at her best, then never fight him ever again.

She felt stupid practicing alone like this, but she did not want to get Maylene into trouble a second time. Still such a method would probably not be very effective for her, so to make this more beneficial and challenging to herself she tuned her senses at the same time as she practiced her skills and combos. Right now there were no presences in the manor or around it that were not supposed to be there. It had been hard to achieve that kind of range, but it was something only the Ashcroft family was capable of in her clan. Half-breed or not she'd inherited the special skill. She reached out.

Yesterday had been pretty enjoyable. At least, after the nasty sparring incident that she preferred not to think about that is. Making cupcakes had been the highlight of her day. Watching Finni eat most of them had been even better. It felt good when _something_ she did was appreciated. Bard still did not take to heart the fact that she had already told him a million times that she was not a double agent. Still he was fairly easy to deal with as they all baked. As for Maylene, the two of them got along swimmingly, and had even more in common than they had previously thought. In the time she had spent here, the halfling had become familiar with their unmistakably unique presences. She liked them.

At the moment, Bard's presence was strangely warm and full of energy, somewhere in the kitchen. Finni's was bright and also warm with a certain softness to it…so tender and human, he was somewhere in the greenhouse. Maylene's nervous yet gentle presence seemed to be handling the linens.

Ciel's presence –very definitely in the study as usual- was a bit darker than she had expected it to be…he always seemed to be troubled didn't he? She frowned. Did it have something to do with his butler? How did he get a demon as a butler? Experience told her some sort of deal would have needed to be made some time ago. Her eyes narrowed. Sebastian's presence. Now that was something that shook her to the core.

It was always there, like a hovering stormy dark cloud. Yes. That was the best way to describe it. A huge, black, foreboding, storm cloud. Reserved with well-checked, raw power. Calm, holding the promise of something disastrous and clamorous to come. The dark energy hummed almost like electricity, and it rumbled around her like distant thunder. It was as though the atmosphere around her became suddenly stifling and heavy. It made her feel small and helpless. This was why she shrank from him so much. As a half demon, she was naturally intimidated and submissive. She would have to fight that however. His presence was something she would just have to brave.

Come to think of it, did she not chose a very peaceful feeling place to do this? It felt very inviting and serene here just a moment ago. Why did it suddenly feel so unsettling, and plainly unpleasant? Bugger. She had spaced out. Dark? Unsettling? …Sebastian. Her pupils pulled into slits and within a split second she swung her sword around with a menacing hiss. Confirming her suspicion.

She found herself holding the blade of her deemed practice sword under the chin of a certain butler sure enough. Her expression did not change in the slightest, except for the curl of her lips. He was never sneaking up on her ever again, she would make sure of that. He smirked over the blade at her for a moment. "What?" she demanded, her voice flat and venomous. She was not pleased to see his face in the slightest. Under his arm, he was holding a polished, -what looked to be wooden- box. She let her eyes examine it for a short moment before refocusing on him.

"I see you learn quickly." he remarked. She did not respond. Still gripping the sword. "Might I inquire as to how you came by this…weapon?" he looked at the silver blade with disapproval then back at her. He knew where it was from well enough, and needless to say he did not like thieves. Not in this manor. She growled low in her throat at him in response. "Stealing weapons are we?" he inquired. She looked outraged at the accusation.

"For your information, Mister Michaels, I was not stealing!" she snapped as she moved forward with the blade attempting to skewer his neck. He simply glided backwards gracefully. She stopped and gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Borrowing without permission then?" he captured the blade between his palms. He looked so smug that if looks could kill he would be a heap on the floor chopped into pieces. If only. Then again he did have a point…but still. Stealing had not been on her mind in the slightest. She was not a thief! She let out a sigh. In all honesty she did not ask because she had hoped to avoid all possibilities of having Sebastian 'help_' _her out. It seemed that his 'aid' was inevitable at this point however. Did she do nothing right?

"You were not even going to find out if I had anything to do with it," she stated. "I was going to go back inside, re-sharpen the blade, and put it back where I found it, the end. Then I would have asked for a sword of my own, and then I was planning on g-"

"You still however, failed to ask permission." He reminded in that patronizing tone that she hated oh so passionately. He looked fairly neutral, and pretty bored with the situation. Ivy rolled her eyes. She snatched the blade from between his hands and backed away; still holding it's point out at him. No doubt, he was not up to any good by coming here. She needed to keep her eyes on him. She could not wait until everything was over and she found work, and therefore distanced herself as far as was physically possible away from this man…er…thing…well…monster. Yes. Monster was a far better suited word to describe him. Anger over-rode any sense of fear she had at this point.

"Yes, well perhaps, if you would simply find it in your busy schedule to provide me with weapons of my own, I would not have to sneak about." she snapped. He tilted his head. God he looked creepy when he did that. Ivy found herself grimacing slightly. What on earth was wrong with him? Why on earth was he so hell bent on making her unhappy?

"Miss Ivy…please give me a chance to apologize." he bowed suavely with a serene smile. She could have sworn she felt colder all of the sudden. Chills went down her spine. This feeling definitely threw her for a loop. She narrowed her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time already since she had arrived.

"For what…?" she trailed suspiciously.

He swept his arm to hit her in the elbow with such force that she spun around and he caught her wrist, effectively pinning her arm to a tree trunk and snatching the sword. "For that to start off with I suppose." he stated absently. The neko girl was beyond livid at this point. She clutched her most likely bruised arm by the elbow as he released her. He was casually twirling the sword in his hand. Watching her intently. For what, she had no idea, a reaction perhaps?. Like a beast sizing up potential prey his dark eyes trained themselves on her. She felt her tail bristling under her skirt and petticoats.

"That hurt! You son of a bitch!" she screeched indignantly. He simply sighed dramatically, before stabbing the sword into the ground beside him.

"Oh dear." he stated. "Ladies these days, they lack the refined grace that they once carried. It is such a shame to hear such foul words from such a _pretty_ mouth." It was plain to see that he was trying to piss her off again. No. Absolutely not. Ivy was not about to give him the satisfaction this time. Calming her nerves, she straightened her posture and let out a breath. She swallowed her humiliation hard. It was almost physically painful to do so.

"Why are you here?" she demanded. Her tail was twitching and swishing about in agitation at this point, each strand of its long fur standing on their ends. He took the box out from under his arm and held it out with one hand as he opened the lid with the other.

"As you will be defending the manor with the other servants, you will be required to own weapons of your own." he informed dryly, revealing to Ivy the most finely built pair of revolvers she had ever seen. She stared at them, unsure of how to react. Was this the universe's indirect way of giving her a birthday present to make up for all the rubbish she had gone through this week? Not likely. There had to be a catch. Especially if Mr. Tall, Dark, and Demonic had anything to do with it. Nothing that involved him could ever be good in her book. It was simply too good to be true.

There they were. Two Deane & Adams 5-shot percussion revolvers in both 54 Bore (nominal .442 cal.) and 38 Bore (nominal .50 cal.) commonly referred to as the 'Beaumont-Adams', as their design incorporated the lock mechanism improvements of F.B.E. Beaumont. Yanks and their guns were certainly amazing. As much as Ivy loved guns however, they were not her specialty. She deflated, although only slightly. She had wanted a sword. Still she was pleased to be getting these.

"You like them I see." the butler remarked. She seemed speechless for once. The girl certainly was talkative when she had an opinion to express. To have her unable to say a word was certainly something to take note of. She finally tore her eyes from the weapons and looked up at him with a suspicious gleam in her eyes.

"Why are you giving me these?" she asked. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I already informed you as to why you may require weapons." he reminded flatly instead. She pursed her lips in thought ignoring the sarcastic comment about stating the obvious that itched on the tip of her tongue to be shot at the butler. Instead she calmly explained herself like the good girl she knew she was.

"Yes…but these are double guns…meant for long range fighting, I am a close range fighter so it would be…well…I thought it would not be ideal." she informed. His eyes danced with amusement as if about to deliver the punch line to a jolly joke. Ivy felt her hands shaking at her sides slightly but kept up an impassive expression anyway.

"Then…" he began. "I suggest you take the guns, and start learning." his smirk gave Ivy enough of an idea as to what he was suggesting. The very idea was horrifying. She shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts to make way for coherent speech with one hand on the side of her head. She held up a single finger as if, vying for time to get her thoughts straight.

"Wait just a moment," she demanded. "You…are…" she trailed off looking at his dead serious expression. Another spar. With him. She knew expecting so much from the universe was far too good to be true. Whoever was responsible for this was probably laughing on the floor right at that very second until tears escaped their eyes. Her eyes widened. There was no doubt about it. "Mister Michaels, I was planning on checking out the work scene in town today and taking down a list of things that I will need and I would rather look presentable in order to do so." she stated. It was the truth after all she wouldn't be there forever and it would be a good idea to see what sort of job her skills could get her in spite of her gender. Perhaps he would be understanding for once in his existence. How bloody old was he come to think of it? He smirked and her gut sank.

"You may have needs that will soon need looking into, Miss 'Gateau', however in the meantime you still have a job here, and you are to fulfill it. If you are not capable of all the duties of a servant of Phantomhive, then you can not stay here, and unfortunately for you…that is not an option any time soon." he informed. Ivy had never felt more exasperated. Turning around, she let out a stifled half-growl/ half scream and she pulled on her hair slightly. Then she sharply turned back around to face him, cheeks darkened from rage and breaths deep and therapeutic. A purely professional expression was pasted on her face. 'Do not fight it.' she warned herself internally. 'Use tact. The more you struggle, the more the python squeezes its coils.' She let out a long breath and smoothed down her skirts, clearing her throat.

"It would be much easier, if I simply kept myself clean and preferably not disheveled for this task, I do not wish to waste time on a bath before I leave." she kept her hopes up. Sebastian did not seem to be moved however.

"As a servant of Phantomhive, what would you do if you could not perform such a task?" he responded. Ivy was stupefied. He was making _this _into a test as well? He had to be absolutely out of his mind, berserk with work. They stared each other down. She glared. He raised an eyebrow. With a sigh she took up the weapons, and slumped her shoulders miserably fire arms hanging at each of her sides.

"Must we do this now? I am not ready." she beseeched him one last time.

"If you are a skilled fighter this should not be a problem." he responded simply.

"But as I said Mister Michaelis these are long range! I have not been able to practice that yet, and you are a brute!" she stomped her foot.

"Then I suggest you start running."

She gaped. What on earth was his problem? "I will give you a head start, seeing as we are unevenly matched indeed." he gave his usual eerie smile. Her expression was simply far too priceless. He turned around. "I am going to count to ten, and you will run." he murmured, waving her off dismissively. The half-neko demon sputtered indignantly. Why was he so intent on making her miserable? Perhaps he was just a sadist. She pursed her lips angrily.

"Understood…Mister Michaelis." she growled low in her throat. '_Fuck using tact!' _she screamed in her mind. The rage bubbling in her as she stared at his back was far too great. Fear forgotten, she gracefully took aim and pulled the trigger. _Then _and only thenwas when she allowed herself to run as fast as she could into the trees.

…

The bang had happened so quickly. The Phatomhive's butler had not expected it. He had underestimated her temper. Demon or not he still had nerve endings that were capable of simulating something as universal as pain. This pain was unmistakable as he staggered forward. His eyes were wide with surprise. It was not just any pain, it was undignified, humiliating, and it plainly _pissed-him-off. _Nobody had ever dared to do something so degrading to him before. If he had not underestimated her he would have been able to predict it and easily dodge. Somebody was certainly going to pay for this.

….Sebastian Michaelis, had just been shot in the ass.

…..

Ciel Phantomhive sat in his office. Impassively working on whatever manner of things that the head of the Phantomhive household had to work on, during mundane days like this. The sound of gunshots on the grounds was no surprise. It could have been any number of things. Perhaps some more 'guests' to take care of. Or there could be chaos among the servants that required Sebastian's interference. Nothing about the noises outside really attracted the twelve-year-old boy's attention. Not even when he heard the shrill feminine shriek echoing in from the distance. A shriek that sounded a whole lot like…_'Mother Fucker!'_

All that did was narrow it down. It seemed that Sebastian was teaching Miss Ivy 'Gateau' to use those double guns properly. He had told him to prepare her to work at the manor. An order is an order. The butler simply followed the orders as he pleased. It was fine as long as he got the job done…most of the time. Sometimes, things needed to be done more to Ciel's liking, and it was not amusing when the demon butler found loopholes in his commands.

Anyway in this specific situation he saw nothing wrong with the method that his servant was using. Thus there was no need to object. If she could learn to stand Sebastian almost at his most annoying then she could survive anything. The spar was taking longer than he had expected. Either this girl was better than he thought, or Sebastian was toying with her. The young Phantomhive rolled his eyes. He wagered on the latter. Just as these thoughts wandered through his head, his butler entered his office. Well that was certainly fast. He was not indicating any sign of a confrontation.

"Has she done anything suspicious?" the young Earl interrogated, dryly. He scrutinized him. Nope, there was still no sign of a struggle.

"Nothing as of yet, young master." the butler smiled in his usual fashion as he bowed at the waist. Ciel found himself briefly wondering what he did to the newest maid of the household. Somehow he expected to hear more about this later. He raised a single eyebrow at his butler.

"You are exactly fifteen seconds late." the boy remarked, looking at his pocket watch. "Am I to guess that your 'pupil' was more problematic than you thought?" he inquired with a hint of amusement in his voice. The idea of something being difficult for Sebastian was quite pleasant. Anything in fact. When his butler frowned slightly he felt the urge to snort. Perhaps he would enjoy keeping her around after all. Sebastian straightened up. Ciel looked at him expectantly, indicating that he actually wanted an answer. The little brat.

"She is talented indeed for a half breed." he stated dryly. Quickly he changed the subject seeing that amused expression forming on the young master's face. "As I said there is nothing suspicious about her actions yet, however, I will have to keep some sort of surveillance on her during her free hours, if she sneaks off it could only mean that she had somewhere else to go and thus I would have to follow her. I could learn a few things that she may or may not be hiding that way. However it may mean that I will be unable to make snacks today, would that be alright?" he smirked. Ciel frowned, and he knew he had gotten in his own hit.

"Very well." Ciel glared at him through a single ocean blue eye. "Return to your duties." With that the butler turned to leave. "Where is she?" Ciel suddenly asked his retreating form. Sebastian looked over his shoulder at him. "She should be getting a change of clothes and washing up." he grinned. The young master narrowed his eyes. What had he done to her? He just nodded indifferently, waving him off. In an instant Sebastian was gone. Just like clockwork, what else was new?

The study was filled with a silence once again. Just as Ciel began to get back into concentration mode, the doors to his office were pushed open, making him frown. There was the sound of heavy breathing at the entrance. A single blue eye slid up to see who had just entered his office. He met the sight of a disheveled neko girl. She was a bit scraped up and dirty. There were leaves and twigs sticking out of her hair. Her skirts were still tucked up, with the new guns she was given strapped to her legs on holsters, one stocking higher than another due to a snapped garter, and by no means did the girl look happy. "Miss Gateau." he acknowledged her professionally with a nod. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

"Earl Phantomhive." she nodded back in an equally professional tone. "I am only here to say one thing." Her voice was even and flat, but rough with exhausted anger and over use as she raised a single finger to emphasize her point. His silence indicated for her to continue. "Your…_butler_… is a menace to society that should be kept on a leash, and if you find him wondering about the whereabouts of his beloved pocket watch, tell him it is in a better place now. That is all, and thank you for listening." and she curtsied and exited the office casually as though she did not look like the sole survivor of a natural disaster. Ciel stared at the door after she was gone. Utter silence.

…What the hell?

...

"Hey what happened to _you_?" Bard asked in surprise upon seeing the new girl stalking down the hall darkly. Boy did she look horrible, her aura dark and menacing.

"_I do not wish to speak about it!" _she reared on him and hissed like an animal. He jumped back from her. Whoa now. He watched her continue on her journey of skulking through the halls of the manor towards her destination. Wherever she was going that is. Probably to get cleaned up, but damn, did _she_ look scary right then. She was muttering in a low intense tone of voice now as she walked away. Bard slowly walked in the opposite direction. Sudden moves did not seem like a very good idea to him at that moment. When she started eerily singing 'happy birthday to me' to herself however, he **had** to run and stopped once he'd dived around the nearest corner. Look out everyone, crazy bitch on the loose. He shivered.

…

Miss Ivy had proven herself most conniving that afternoon. It was not just any young lady who was capable of cornering Ciel Phantomhive and his butler into giving her money for shopping after all. Such a simple move it was too, it was almost embarrassing that it had not been foreseen. It had happened something like this.

**Flashback:**

The loud wailing of three panicked servants had, swiftly interrupted the silence of a once peaceful mood. They barged into the Earl's study beseeching help from their dutiful and perfect supervisor right in the middle of delivering the young master his tea. With narrowed eyes the butler just pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Can the three of you not see that I am quite busy here? The young master has not even had his snack yet and you've already started with your ridiculous shenanigans." He had scolded, preparing the tea with a focused but aggravated expression. They all hung their heads in shame, but Bard quickly bounced back to the task at hand.

"Yeah…sorry…but wait! We've had a bit of a catastrophe out in the gardens! Help needed. As in _your_ help. ASAP."

Again? "What's happened this time?" Sebastian stood upright and glared, startling them. He had only just fixed that kitchen, what could they have possibly done to destroy it twice in one day? His form loomed darkly over them as they scrambled backwards. Maylene –clumsy as ever- accidentally ended up stepping on Finnian's foot. The troublesome child began to wail and hop on one foot, nursing the other with fountains of tears in his eyes. He tripped and attempted to regain his balance by grabbing onto an unprepared Bard with his monstrous strength and they both toppled into the bookshelf. The thing creaked and groaned before it tipped over and Sebastian stopped it from falling over. Still the books slid out of their places and fell all around them like a hailstorm of fluttering pages and hard covers.

The young master massaged his temples with a low grumble at all the madness so early in the morning. That was just about when Miss Ivy had breezed into the study wielding a duster. "Do not mind me, I'm just a swindled little oyster doing my job in the clutches of the scheming walrus and his wicked carpenter." She stated huffily, only to blink in surprise at what she saw, her bitter smile becoming a genuine grin as she suppressed a giggle. What a mess she had come upon. Twice in one day. Sebastian was frowning as he righted the bookshelf. "Oh dear." She commented.

"Is there something you needed, Miss Ivy?" He murmured. His eye narrowed as if asking 'where the hell were you while they were running rampant exactly?' She cleared her throat awkwardly. Ciel was frowning in his usual disinterested manner.

"Well apparently this is a bad time, how-" She shrugged.

"What makes you say that?" He inquired almost suspiciously. The servant trio seemed very grateful that he was momentarily distracted and would be a little more cooled off when he refocused on them. Ivy raised an eyebrow, motioning to the mess before her and gracefully recited.

_"'If seven maids with seven mops, Swept it for half a year. Do you suppose,' the Walrus said, 'That they could get it clear?' _

_ 'I doubt it,' said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear." _The butler now raised an eyebrow of his own at the second Alice in Wonderland reference.

"A fallen shelf is hardly comparable to a beach full of sand- Bard where are you going? You'll clean this up with the others and since Miss Ivy seems so free, she will reorganize all the books into their proper places." The twitch was noticeable but soon gone. It would do her no good to protest anyway.

"Certainly. It is after all the least I can do, Mister Michaelis since you're right, a simple bookshelf incident is no beach to clear out but I was referring mostly to what you haven't seen yet… out in the garden." The neko spoke in a subdued tone. He was not going to be happy about what he would see…and even she as somebody who was not responsible for the catastrophe…the oncoming storm that was soon to arrive once he discovered the charred mess. It was no wonder Bard had tried to make himself scarce a moment ago. His eyes narrowed further at this proclamation and Ivy praised herself, albeit mildly as not to jinx her luck. Fortunately he turned and bowed low the boy who eyes the exchange studiously.

"Young master please forgive me, I must attend to this mishap right away it seems." Ciel gave a short nod and a soft grunt in response. With that brief apology, he was gone, and the neko patted herself on the back for using this opportunity to her advantage. Now to get the boy's attention without seeming like a rude or presumptuous employee. As she pondered her options she turned to perform her assigned task.

"Alright. Lets gather up these books and place them on the shelf first, then I'll be able to visualize this better." She sighed towards the others, thinking silently. It seemed however that the next step was done for her only a moment later.

Ciel Phantomhive had stoically placed down his teacup. A single deep blue eye narrowed, deliberately allowing her to see his discerning gaze. "You wanted to say something to me, don't you? Now that he's gone." His slender hands interlocked by the fingers beneath his nose. Ah so he really was a sharp little chap on his own. This she liked. Ivy bit her lip with an only slightly mischievous grin. The servant trio perked up at this but Ivy didn't mind in the slightest. As a matter of fact their presence was essential for her little request to be successful.

"You noticed, huh?" She gave a mildly awkward laugh. "You are right. I wished to humbly request something from you, young master." The boy's brow rose wryly, clearly not particularly interested in where the conversation was going, but he nodded for her to continue none the less.

"Make it quick, and depending on what you want, I'll consider it." Without another word he began to sip his tea again, still not attentive. Ivy twitched a bit. Boy and butler were both on the same level of annoying it seemed. Wow, somebody was missing his pacifier this fine afternoon. Not a problem though, not a problem. He was a haughty child but a child nonetheless, and she had more important matters to focus on. Preferably before his nuisance of a butler could return. Chances were that he still did not trust her to be alone with the child for too long. Ha. A rich thought. Taking a split second to think, Ivy decided that she would be blunt to get the boy's complete attention.

"I plan on going shopping for spare clothes today." Now that seemed to perk him up a bit didn't it? 'Uh oh.' She thought in amusement. 'Little boy blue is wearing his grumpy face.' Such a thing did not sound like it merited much ire from one's employer but when one was an unpaid prisoner it did. However, as far as the other servants knew she was working there just the same as anybody else. He could not react negatively in front of them unless he wanted to blow the cover story…and –oh noes, how sad- no butler here to out weasel her.

"What for?" He murmured, feigning a nonchalant reaction quite well. The young Earl did not particularly take comfort in her eagerness to get off of the manor grounds. "I assume you have enough uniforms." Ivy just wordlessly aided the others in gathering up the books.

"Ah yes, uniforms. Certainly young master, you have been quite generous in tending to my necessities as your _employee_, however I have only been here for a single day and thus there has been to time to replace all of my old raggedy things." She informed innocently, gladly waiting for him to prod at her defenses. He gave a mildly suspicious frown at her emphasis of the word employee, his gaze flitted to his other servants and his expression seemed to comprehend how she had taken advantage of a perfect situation. Hmph, she was smarter than she let on, he would play along and weigh his options.

"Ah. Well then, I'm assuming that you have means to pay for these things?" At this Ivy's ears perked and she smiled in such an innocent way, clasping her hands in front of her apron she turned to face him.

"Actually, I thought you could deduct it from my pay, I would appreciate it as I would rather not trouble you." Ciel blinked at her very subtle cheek. Pay?

"Your pay?" He raised an eyebrow. She nodded back in such a polite and 'unassuming' way that almost he was convinced that she was genuinely asking a legitimate question.

"Yes, my lord. My _servant's wages._" The emphasis on the term was insidiously subtle, as if she dared him to refuse to pay her in front of the others, who would be sure to ask questions. Oh no, do not misunderstand, she was not looking to earn a salary, but she wanted to do her own shopping, and that was exactly what she would do. It was not like they would spend more money than they already would have when she would have had to ask for these quite necessary things anyway…and really there were some things that she needed to buy _alone _and she really did NOT want anybody else doing it for her. "You'll not be paying anything extra, and I do need some important effects that would be best for me to fetch myself."

Ciel was not sure whether she just wanted the attention of being a spectacle, whether she really had harmless intentions, or simply had changed her mind and was thinking up a way to escape and thus start another irritating chase, like before. He sized her up with his cold, calculating gaze. "What could you possibly need that requires such absolute solitude?" Ivy looked over her shoulder at him with a slightly dark expression as she placed a set of books together on the shelf. Was that a serious question?

"Oh…just a number of ordinary things, more sleep wear as only one night gown will not do for hygiene purposes, stockings, um and let me see…. Hmmm oh yes _petticoats, garters, b-_"

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT I UNDERSTAND!" Ciel protested hastily with a scandalized glare. His cheeks turned a deep rosy shade and he cleared his throat. Oops…he was just so annoying that it was hard for Ivy to remember that he was still a child. Well in the end it served him right, a little bit of embarrassment never hurt anyone. Still she coughed awkwardly. Bard snickered.

"I don't understand where you find it in yourself to express amusement right now, Bard. Considering you are going to get it when Mister Michaelis comes back." She huffed. Him laughing would only get her in more trouble for insubordination and she already knew she was going to get enough of it later. The American ex-soldier just sulked and muttered to himself shoving some more books back into place. "In any case, young master I only assumed it would be a bad idea if anybody here besides me fetched them…except Maylene of course -and it would make no sense to selfishly send her on such a tedious errand when I can do it myself-, it is scandalous business for any man to be seen purchasing such intimate items of la-"

"I get it!" He massaged his temples. 'Score.' The Earl's weakness had been discovered. When one gets flustered they tend to be hasty in their decision-making. Earl Phantomhive was thus put in a rather awkward position due to his young age. Being still just a boy... made him susceptible to being easily embarrassed. Still even now though, he showed excellent promise, as he still seemed to be mulling something over in those constantly whirring gears of his mind. "Very well." He was staring her down. "I will make an exception but make it quick and be sure to do your job first." His voice was stern. Ah, but Ivy didn't mind.

"I still don't see what the big deal is, its just clothes at the end of the day." Bard remarked. Clearly he had become quite accustomed to the rather risqué life of his soldier days. Alas it didn't work that way in normal society. Ivy stared at him before giving an exasperated huff wildly gesturing as she spoke.

"Okay then Bard! Would you like Sebastian to go underwear shopping for **you** then?" She demanded very bluntly. Maylene turned red and whipped around, seeming to be covering her face. The head chef blanched, sweat dropped, and twitched all at one and Ivy knew that her point had been made. "Right I didn't think so, so now that we are all of an understanding here I think the discussion is officially over." Thus the weekly dosage of Phantomhive dysfunction, and awkwardness had been met effortlessly in that one conversation. Oh yeah, unfortunately this new maid was definitely going to fit in with the others. What on earth had he just agreed to? It was no wonder this girl seemed to appeal so much to his butler's imagination.

…..

The servants all stood on kitchen duty, excepet for Finnian –whos strength was banned from delicate matters like cookery-. Still at the moment he was also banned from the garden along with Bard for their ridiculous escapade today. That, and the rather nasty sight of what they lovingly referred to, as a 'triple decker ice cream cone' on each of their heads was the only remaining evidence of what happened earlier in the day. "Alright. Anyone up for tossing opinions back and forth about this new girl?" Bard inquired. The servants perked up curiously.

"What about Miss Ivy?" Finnian frowned slightly as if trying to guess what he could mean. Maylene had a similarly inquisitive expression, and Tanaka looked up from his mug. You could almost see the question mark above the old man's head.

Bard shrugged. "She just seems to have such a short fuse." He remarked. Maylene fidgeted with her glasses at this, drops of water from her dish washing sprinkled a bit on one of her lenses. "I wonder what the young master had in mind when he decided to hire on a new hand after all of this time. Someone so…well… unpredictable." He scratched the back of his head.

"Oh stop. I'm sure we can trust her, I am." Maylene murmured. "Even though the young master is still a child he is also still very astute in his decisions, and he also has Mister Sebastian, who would never let him pick somebody who was a threat, he wouldn't." Tanaka gave a soft and cheerful 'Ho. Ho. Ho.' As a form of concurring with the reddish haired maid.

"She only got snappish because you embarrassed her though, right?" Finnian seemed unsure as he spoke, since he always got lost when people started on these smart ramblings. Bard sighed.

"I never meant that Ivy was- You know what? Never mind." He huffed. "I'm only saying –even if she is a bit of a shady kind of gal- that she is strangely irritable. It wasn't only a moment ago but earlier today too. I passed her in the hall slinking around like a furious Renfield, and I mean she was a total mess like she had just been in a bar fight. She went all beast-mode on me for a split second because I asked her –out of simple concern- what had happened to her. Grabbed me by the shirt and hissed that she didn't want to talk about it like some kind of possessed animal. Then she just dropped me and went back to skulking down the hall. Gave me the shivers." His co-workers remained in contemplative silence.

"Wow so she was really that mad huh?" Finni remarked at Bard's relation of his experience with the raging cat-girl. Mr. Tanaka was sipping tea in the background as always, listening attentively despite his aloof carefree attitude. It was at least an interesting story if it did not make you worry about the normally calm and sweet neko girl. What could have possibly happened to make her erupt like that? What was going on in the manor that they were unaware of?

"Do you have any idea why she could have been like that?" Maylene asked. It seemed so difficult to believe that Ivy would snap like that. Bard just held out his hands and shrugged, shaking his head.

"Beats the hell out of me. Like I said, I asked what happened and she just hissed at me." he repeated. "Boy, she looked like she was ready to kill somebody." he stated. "She scared the hell out of me." They all puzzled. The servants of the Phantomhive manor were stumped.

"Did anything else happen after that?" Maylene asked curiously.

"I managed with the yelling and hissing…but when she started singing the 'Happy Birthday' song to herself I ran like hell I'm sorry." he answered with all honesty holding his hands up in a 'no questions asked' kind of way. They perked up at this. Her birthday was today. "Hey guys! Isn't today her birthday?" Bard piped up. Light bulbs lit up in their heads.

"Ho. Ho. Ho." Tanaka confirmed in his own way. They exchanged looks. "Well!" Maylene began. "I thought I heard her mention it in passing before, you're right Bard. It seems like she may be having a dreadful birthday –she's probably never had a happy birthday if we are going by what we know of her-, and we may not know precisely why, but we have ample opportunity to make it up to her, we do." she stated confidently with a smile as she adjusted her round glasses. They all nodded.

"Yeah! Let's make this Miss Ivy's best birthday ever!" Finni cheered. "Oh! We can bake her a cake!" he proposed.

"Shhhh!" Maylene scolded, covering his mouth and holding a finger to her lips. "We should keep it surprise for when she gets back." The maid told the energetic gardener. That was right. Miss Ivy was going to leave and they would have time to prepare a surprise for her.

Bard shrugged. "I'm all for it. If it keeps her from behaving the way she is now then it can't be all that bad of an idea." he stated folding his arms.

"Ho. Ho. Ho." Tanaka put his own approval in. They all put their hands together in agreement.

"We are all agreed."

….

To have even a small break from living under the oppressive shadow of Sebastian Michaelis was a welcome relief to Ivy as she breezed through the streets. Ah much better. All of her stuff was purchased and it was just about time to get home. The neko was so absorbed in her thoughts, that she did not watch where she was going. As she hurriedly rounded a corner she collided with what looked like a lot of wicker baskets.

Her and the unseen holder of said baskets fell over with a grunt and a surprised yelp. Apples were then rolling all around them on the ground. Oh no. She sat up right away. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir!" she apologized profusely. She had probably just made somebody's day a whole lot worse. "I've been such a rutabaga all day! Here let me help you!" she said not even looking up as she was gathering the apples from the floor apologetically. Hopefully none of them were bruised. Why did she have to keep embarrassing herself like this? Some cat she was. Bugger.

"Err…no, it's fine. No ill will." a familiar Irish accent breathed. His tone of voice weary, but cheerful and friendly anyway. She looked up sharply.

"Liam!" she smiled. Oh she had never been happier to see anybody. He turned around from the apples he was gathering himself and gave an abrupt jolt –dropping the apples he already held- before he regained his composure and smiled back with just as much warmth.

"Oh it's you Miss Ivy." he placed the apples back into their basket and helped her to her feet, clearing his throat. "I did not expect to see you again so soon. We've had to move shop recently so the chances of us meeting like this were very slim, but I'm glad to see you." he was clearly in a good humor today. His blue eyes danced with optimism. She could not help but smile back at him. "Still looking for that job?" he asked, dusting off his hands as they fixed more baskets. She nodded to him.

"Yes and no, unfortunately. I had hoped to have something steady by now, but patience is a virtue as they say. I have been…caught up in something rather unpleasant that will be delaying me for the time being." she shrugged, suddenly changing the subject when it seemed that he wanted to ask her something. "What are you doing with all of these apples?" The neko asked curiously. There were quite a lot of them. He looked at them and reluctantly seemed to back down. "Are they for the bakery?" She felt like smacking herself in the forehead. Of course it was for the bakery. Probably for…

"Apple pies." he explained. "We've gotten a large order for them…odd eh? Anyway my father sent me out to pick them up." he commented. She nodded, feeling herself blush in embarrassment. Oh come on. She had always been more perceptive than that! He did not seem to mind though, nor did he comment so she felt at ease once again. She was suddenly very glad that he was so nice. "Honestly I am not always looking forward to all of the baking, but it brings money and food on the table, besides we always find a way to make it fun." he smiled brightly. Ivy gave a soft laugh.

"Well…do you mind if I help you?" she asked eyeing all of the baskets. He wiped some sweat from his brow.

"Are you sure? They are heavy." He warned. She resisted the urge to point and laugh. He was in the dark about her after all. It was not his fault. Instead she just giggled to herself. He blinked at her.

"I will be fine, trust me. I'll take half. Besides you might be able to see where you are going this time." she nudged his arm. He blushed.

"Well…alright…but if it gets too heavy let me know, I would feel bad if I made a girl hurt herself." he pinched his own cheeks subtly trying to get rid of the embarrassing color in them. '_Aww.' _she thought to herself. He was just so cute. Ivy laughed now, fondly.

"You have no idea how refreshing you are after the time I've had this week." she shook her head. "Thank you, Liam. You are so sweet!" she hugged his arm to her chest and rested her head on his shoulder, expressing her gratitude. He only blushed more at this.

"Really…I-I am?" he asked, trying to regain his bearings. Still he could not keep his voice from cracking ever so slightly.

"Of course! Like a breath of fresh air." she smiled. She suddenly frowned feeling something. If felt a lot like flames briefly licking at her arms and legs except without the pain. She flinched. He looked surprised wondering to himself if the girl was okay. Her eyes surveyed her surroundings but there was nothing to be seen, and the feeling had gone as suddenly as it came. It had completely vanished in fact. _'That's peculiar.' _she told herself internally.

"Is…everything okay Miss Ivy?" Liam asked.

"Um…yes! Sorry. I told you I was a bit out of it today. Let's go then." she perked, picking up half of the baskets with an ease that surprised the baker's son.

"All right then." he nodded. "Hey…" he caught a glimpse of something. "I don't know if it's just me but…I don't usually see ravens around here." he remarked. She followed his gaze to a single black bird. "Do you?" he asked.

"Well I wouldn't know…" she trailed. "I'm fairly new around here and I've seen one only once but I assumed it normal."

"Maybe it is, I guess they just give me the willies." he shrugged, picking up his now easier load. "I mean, usually birds like to preen themselves a lot but…that one just sits there." he muttered. "It is unnerving." Ivy could not help but stare at it for a moment. She did not like ravens that much either, considering they were scavengers a lot of the time with sickening diets that made her skin crawl thinking about all of the germs. They were sadistic; raven's had a penchant for taking out the eyes of their prey first. Plus they were thieves. When she was little she had lost three hair ribbons to local ravens back where she used to live. It was their instinct but that did not mean she had to like it.

"They creep me out too." she admitted as they walked along. Liam looked back at the bird as they passed.

"Did you know that in Sweden there is a belief that ravens are the ghosts of the murdered?" he asked. Ivy shook her head.

"No but I do know that some believe them to be the souls of the damned." She shrugged. "Why all of the dark romanticism? I don't know. To me however they are just very dirty pests that have an eerie presence." she stated. Liam laughed and shrugged.

"Well I can't argue with that I suppose. I have an uncle in Ireland who hates the things, they tend to kill the young of his livestock." he stated. She shook her head and scoffed. "You know…" he began. "You are very east to get along with, and my sister seems to like you very much." he laughed. "Maybe…I don't know…you could eat with us sometime…that is of course if you are not too bu- whoa." He stopped mid sentence, blinking as the raven now landed on his baskets, regarding him critically. "…I don't think this bird likes me very much, …" he said with a tad bit of humor in his voice. Ivy was not amused. Damn birds. She glared at it.

"It probably just wants an apple." she said flatly.

"Well I don't see any harm in that." the young Irishman shrugged.

"Until they pester you for food every time they see you, but I suppose if you insist on being charitable to the creature." she responded. "Take it and piss off!" She chucked an apple at the winged creature. She normally wasn't so harsh but this one…made her defensive. It flew off of the basket and landed on her head. "Ew…ew…get it off…ew." she froze. She would definitely have to wash her hair later. Liam tried not to laugh he really did. Soft snickers escaped him either way though.

"If I didn't know better I'd say he was teasing you," he remarked with a soft chuckle. She slowly placed the baskets down and swiped at it. It flew away this time. With an angry huff she picked the baskets up again. What a day this had been. She needed an outlet when she got back home. "I'm sorry." he shook his head, still smiling. "I shouldn't be laughing."

"It's fine." she shook her head, feeling utterly ridiculous. "Um... anyway back to our conversation, I actually have very little time for myself so I am not sure when I'll find the time to come visit. I'm only out here now due to my ever so diligent wiles." Her tone was quite bitter and disappointed. It was ridiculous that she had to live under house arrest liked his and never be able to see or make any brief friendships.

"I understand." Liam brightened. "You can just drop by anytime you manage to find any free time. My mother loves visitors." Ivy smiled at him, such an adorable guy.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay just a little thing that has been annoying me. Sebastian is a RAVEN demon, not a CROW demon. I understand that the birds are very similar but Yana Toboso clearly referenced to him using Edgar Allan Poe's THE RAVEN. Plus coupled with what you have read what Liam and Ivy say, there are so many parallels between Sebastian and Ravens. Considering he 'took out' Ciel's eye when first contracting him, and all of the dark western romanticism regarding the Raven, completed only by the mischievous, trickster reputation that they have in folklore. Thank you and Goodnight. Anyway hopefully this did not come out too forced. Ugh so difficult to keep the beginning of a story just right for whatever reason. Sigh. Thank you for waiting patiently so far. Now to get tackling that issue I've been mentioning. Let's do this. CHAAAARGE!


	7. That Maid Has Earned Her Degree

Author's Note: As I struggle with my story my typing skills have been increasing like madness! I can go up to about 80 wmp. FTW! These author's notes are rather useless I've come to notice but hey I'm so used to doing them that I felt awkward leaving one out. So whatever. Its all gravy as I like to say. Still trying my best to fix the whole running away and 'reinstating' thing. Ugh. I came up with one solution but it messed with the timeline of everything. . URRRRRRGH! I'm okay…I'm okay. Anyway I can't help but share this… I'm getting BRACES! Jeez it's about damn time already. I'm actually one of the view people who actually likes how braces look on people xP. Anyway back to the story. Onward! Grammar mistakes can suck my coconuts!... Don't look at me like that, Sebastian, this is who I am! -fades into static**- **

Disclaimer: Screw all this. If anybody is retarded enough to come to FF in search of entertainment and actually assume that AMATEUR writers like me actually own Canon works like Kuroshitsuji, I WILL hunt you down and squirt lemon juice and Tabasco sauce in your eyes. Then I will proceed to beat you to death with a sneaker –that's right a sneaker because I can roll like that- thus wiping you from the earth and preventing you from producing other retards like you, ensuring that our species can have just a little bit more hope in ourselves.

**Chapter Seven: That Maid Has Earned Her Degree**

_"A witty woman is a treasure, a witty beauty is a power." –_George Meredith

Liam had been good company to keep while Ivy helped him carry all of those apples home. His father had been a bit cross that he'd allowed a small girl like Ivy to carry even half of such a load, but Ivy assured him that she'd made it apparent that he had no choice in the matter. Still however she could not stay long even if they invited her for a chat because she had delayed enough and she was sure that if she was late by even a few minutes, Ciel would take it as an excuse to send his butler to fetch her. That would not have been pleasant at all so she had politely declined and hurried off.

She had wanted to take a short cut, however in her hurry she had not paid attention to the route she chose properly. She cursed herself for spacing out as she made her way through the wrong side of town, ignoring the catcalls from a group of local urchins. It was not as though it was particularly dangerous for someone like her, but she was dressed in very respectable and clean-cut maid attire. It drew unnecessary attention to her. Men were stupid it was official.

Suddenly the smell of alcohol assaulted her senses as what looked like a normally respectable businessman staggered into her path, leaning in a bit too close for her liking. The young lady grimaced as he smiled through blood shot eyes and his breath was abominable. "Hello Miss. This is not a place for a respectable young girl to be alone…do you need an escort home?" He managed to drawl lazily. Ivy could have burst out laughing in his face but such a sarcastic gesture would probably be completely lost on a dazed drunk like him. She simply settled for easily pushing him out of her way and walking onward.

Nobody really paid attention to drunks in these parts, where as in the more 'high brow' parts of town he would have been quickly arrested. Still was this man not concerned about being disgraced? Unless he had already been ruined…that could be a possible reason for all of the drinking he had obviously been doing.

"I insist!" He called after her. Ivy rolled her eyes. Oh bugger, really? She picked up her pace with an annoyed sigh, hopefully he would be too intoxicated to keep up. "After all, it is a very unsafe neighborhood for a girl to wander alone…and what sort of gentleman would I be if…." Ivy began to drown him out with her own thoughts. Chores, ideas, jokes, memories, and just anything else. Who did he think he was fooling? She would take a demon lecture over this any day.

Her eye twitched as she caught several very disturbing endearments here and there. She felt nauseous. The girl was now ready to smash his head with the glass bottle he clutched in his hand. Having had quite enough, she whipped around only to hear a brief noise of surprise and he was…gone? She blinked at where he had been only seconds ago. A single black feather floated down and she blew it out of her face. Damn birds. Yes, ravens still gave her the creeps. The neko girl decided to just forget about it and be glad that he wasn't bothering her anymore…where ever he went…she hurried off once again.

It seemed like there were a lot of creeps out that day. Good thing she was what she was. She almost pitied the foolish man who would be unfortunate enough to try to mug her. Boy would she give him a surprise. Soon, she came across a monastery and paused, tilting her head, and blinked at it a few times. It was rather quaint compared to most. Slowly an idea crept into the mischievous corners of her mind. She grinned to herself. It really was not a nice idea theoretically, but she consoled herself with the idea that she would only use it if she really needed it. The half breed placed her hands on her hips resolutely before looking at the case of water she'd carried with her. She emptied out said case of water that she unfastened and walked briskly into the place of worship.

She could go home right after this.

…. It had been a beautiful afternoon really. Ivy had earlier been able to appreciate the day's loveliness until _somebody _had to crawl in from the shadows and ruin everything. She still remembered that horribly one sided spar. He went out of his way to mess with her appearance the entire time. Granted she had done exceedingly well for herself during that fight. Much better than the first time. She had actually hit him a few times. Still however, she had been greatly humiliated as well. Thinking back on it she turned red with rage and embarrassment.

**Flashback:**

Ivy's heart was pounding in her rib cage as though it wanted to escape from her chest. This was going to involved a lot of running she could tell that right away. So albeit very hesitantly she pulled up her skirts and pinned them out of the way of her legs. Oh bugger it was too dreadful as she looked down at her exposed state. Still there was no time to be finicky. She continued to run through the trees. Every time she could feel his presence begin to zero in on her she changed direction. Damn it if only he weren't so agile.

She kicked off of yet another tree. To her utter surprise she felt his breath at the base of her neck. "_Kyaaahh!_" she whipped around with a cry, shooting at him as she flew backwards. When had he gotten so close? He drew back with a smirk, gracefully bending away from the stream of bullets. She could only shoot at him for so long. With a start he suddenly had to barely escape having her shoes embed themselves into his gut. She had lunged at him. Nearly kicking off of him just as she was doing with the trees. She now ran in the opposite direction. That was a calculated risk on her part. Not a bad one however.

He continued to pursue. Curious to see how she planned to handle this. Ah, and such a lovely form she displayed. She disappeared from his view. He chuckled. Seconds later his eyes widened as the heel of her shoe hit the back of his head and propelled her toward the discarded sword that was stuck into the ground. She snatched out the weapon and landed on her feet gracefully, immediately taking on a beautiful stance with the blade in hand. Quite a woman. He smirked.

Ivy felt as though she had a better chance with the sword. Holding her hand out, her fingers motioned for him to come. He gave a game smirk that made her shiver. Just as she thought, he pulled out the silverware between his fingers. He attacked and so did she. If she was going to do this, she might as well go down like a bad ass. She tested her ground with basic attacks. His blocks were powerful and made her arms shake. The neko grit her teeth against his blows. Damn it this was not working out very nicely. It would save a lot of time to just surrender, but what would that do her pride? Besides she would prove that bastard right. Hell no.

Luckily she was fast. She avoided his advances with all the grace of a seasoned fighter. Throwing caution to the wind she began her more serious techniques. He moved backwards dodging each swipe of her blade, probably studying her form and style. Left, right, down, back up. Ivy wondered how he managed to block her using forks and butter knives. Was there anything he was incapable of? She pursed her lips. Leaping off the ground she did a downward swipe with her sword, which he dodged leaning back. As she hit the floor in a crouch, she swung out her leg as if to knock him over and he jumped to dodge. Taking the opportunity, she swiped upwards with her sword, and cut his bottom lip much to his surprise. She leapt up. "That was on purpose." she told him honestly in an impassive tone. "I did not have to miss."

He licked his bleeding lip. "Impressive."

She scoffed. "Let's finish this." The fight continued on. Ivy was sweating profusely and was not happy in the slightest. A strike from a few forks cut through her uniform. She could have killed him for that if he was not so damn good at this. He tossed a few knives in her direction. She cartwheeled with one arm out of the way. The neko cursed under her breath.

They were so close range at this point. It made her uneasy. Her moves had to come quicker and with more accuracy the more he went at her. She strained to gain as much distance as possible between herself and the butler. There was barely enough time to think like this. Ivy kicked off of the ground with all of her might sending herself into the air. Sebastian leapt after her, tossing silverware in her direction. Improvising she swiped them with her sword like a dominoe effect, twirling them around the blade and flinging them back at him, missing the pleased expression on her opponent's face as he dodged.

As she lost her height due to the ever diligent presence of gravity, Sebastian managed to end up above her. At this point the girl was exhausted. She was already a sweating, disheveled, panting mess. She gave a startled cry when she barely blocked a kick to the shoulder with her sword. She missed the other foot however as it swung downward, knocking her out of the air. A grunt of pain escaped her as she was sent plummeting down, branches breaking, and leaves snagging in her hair. Thinking quickly she stabbed her sword into a nearby tree and kicked off of it, landing in another branch.

Soundlessly but with a lot of rage and accuracy the neko launched herself at her attacker in mid air. Just as his feet were barely touching the ground, he was line backed to the floor. Ivy had her knees on his arms, effectively straddling him, and her sword was as his throat. She was breathing hard with a feral gleam in her eyes.. He did not need to allow her to do it, but it was not a very bad position to be in from where he was. Quite a view actually. Her ears were back against her head in an aggressive manner. So much fire in one little creature. "We are finished." she growled low in her throat. Oh but they had just gotten started. She had just officially gotten over confident. Now for revenge.

In an instant he had pushed her knees down and swung her halfway under him in a scissor hold, sword spiraling into the brush. One large hand then pinned both of her arms against her chest. 'What the HELL!' Ivy thought frantically. "GET OFF!" she bellowed, tossing violently. With his free hand, the demon rubbed her ears absently.

"You know, your ears add a certain charm to your temper tantrums." he drawled.

"Stop that!" she demanded, unable to keep down the rumble of purrs in her chest. Oh she was going to kill him next chance she got. She did not care. She would find a bloody way.

"You have improved, however…when you lose your temper like that. I have seen that it clouds your judgment."

Ivy's eyes popped in horror when she felt his hand move up her inner thigh, fingers mimicking a spider's walk. "_What the bloody hell are you doing you pig!" _She shrieked, fighting harder than ever. She blushed in embarrassment when he simply unclipped the gun holster on her leg and gave a pointed look. Eyebrow rose. The maid was not sure whether she wanted to cry in relief or rip out his eyes. Maybe both. Mmm yes. He released her and the moment she tried to stand up there was a jerk on her ankle and she was airborne with a surprised yelp.

Regaining her bearings she noticed that he had somehow tied a rope around her ankles and set up an entire god damned trap without her even noticing! Damn him! No matter how much she improved on anything he would always be better than her! "You cheating wanker! I could have never noticed this!" she shouted angrily.

"Ah, but if you were not so unfocused when having your pretty little ears scratched you might have." he gave a saccharine smile. Ivy pulled at her own hair and screamed a number of obscenities at the demon below her. He aimed the gun he had taken from her straight at her.

"What are you-"

She was unable to finish her question before he pulled the trigger. The butler emptied out the cartridge in an outline around the girl. Ivy relaxed her shoulders from the start that possibly shaved years off of her eternity. Her hands slid down her face, eyes now catlike again. "If you think I am going to let you intimidate me like this I will find a way to make your existence here as miserable as my own!" she declared.

"Have a good afternoon, Miss Ivy." He grinned before walking off.

Ivy gaped at his retreating for in exasperation. "You! You are just going to leave me here?" she demanded. He looked over his shoulder.

"I am certain you can get down on your own." he answered simply. Once again all she could do was grind her teeth together and pull at her hair letting out strained sounds of frustration.

"AHHHH! I HATE YOU!" she screamed, sounding half like an animal at that point. Sebastian simply smirked to himself and did not look back.

**End Flashback:**

Oh he would get his. The girl tried to push the dark thoughts out of her mind. Now was not the time for it. If she was going to settle herself comfortably then she would have better things to ponder than that nightmare shit out by the devil to torment her. Instead she continued to focus on organizing her stuff and putting them away in her room.

…..

In the meantime, Bard, Finni, and Maylene were still struggling in the kitchen on their third or fourth attempt at baking a cake. It was a complete mess of eggs, flour, and milk….and the kitchen was worse. To say that it was getting to be a pretty pathetic attempt would have been a grave understatement.

"We are not using a flame thrower to make it go faster!" Maylene scolded Bard. He huffed in response and threw his hands in the air, defeated.

"Well just look at us! We've been in here all day! How many times have we tried to do this! A million?" he ranted. This was way more than he had bargained for. How long was Ivy going to be gone anyway? It was going to be impossible for them to finish the surprise before she showed up at this rate.

"I thought it was only four." Finni looked like a kicked puppy. He was feeling really bad about all of this. They had to have been better servants than this. "Ho. Ho. Ho." Tanaka spoke up.

"It _has _been four, Finni." Bard gritted through clenched teeth as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "I'm just saying that we're never going to get this done at this rate." he swiped some sugar and flour from the counter before sitting down and sticking his finger in the batter on the counter, and tasting is absently. He perked up. "Hey…this is actually not bad…Maylene quick preheat the oven!" he rushed. The bespectacled girl jumped before fumbling with the oven dials.

"Done!" she gave a peace sign and smiled wide when she didn't break anything in the process. Things were starting to look up finally. Great. The servants' spirits started to rise again.

"Good. Finnian go keep watch and warn us if Ivy shows up." Bard ordered the young gardener. Finni nodded enthusiastically and gave the thumbs up. Some flour falling from his shoulder as he did so.

"Leave it to me!" he cheered. He ran for the door only to stumble backward as it was opened.

"Hello everyone?" Ivy looked around and sweat dropped. All four servants jumped with a start to see her home. Finnian stumbled back into Maylene. With a scream Maylene flew backwards into Bard who tried to catch her and keep his balance only to fall straight back. They toppled and Maylene's hand snagged onto the edge of the bowl of batter. They sent it flying across the kitchen, almost as if in slow motion. Ivy moved out of the way just in case.

Just before it could splatter against the door, said door was opened. They all screamed within a split second before Sebastian Michaels was unexpectedly nailed in the face with a bowl of cake batter, in yet another kitchen mess. He froze. The servants froze as well, wide eyed. Ivy covered her mouth with both hands and allowed her eyes to pop in surprise. Sebastian's fists were tightly clenched at his sides. It was plain to see that he was boiling over. He seemed to grow bigger as the servants shrank and cowered. All trembling. Except for one.

Ivy shut her eyes tight. Her shoulders were shaking. Finally she could not take it anymore. She was seized by a fit of snickers. Her mouth still covered as she attempted to restrain them under her hands. They soon became soft giggles. Mr. Tanaka had somehow managed to disappear from the scene as three heads darted in her direction with clear awe over her gall. She shook her head helplessly at them but continued her laughter uncontrollably.

"WE'RE SOORRRY!" They chorused.

"We were just trying to surprise Miss Ivy for her birthday because she seemed so upset today!"

"Please don't kill us!"

"MERCY!"

Sebastian made no response, practically shaking with rage. His eyes opened finally, glowing red, making two little red holes appear amidst the dripping chocolate batter. Now Ivy let out full belly laughs, her cheeks darkening.

"You guys! You have no idea just how well you've made my day! Ahahahaha! This is the best birthday gift I've ever gotten!" She hugged them tightly and enthusiastically as they continued to watch their supervisor with terror on their faces. She turned to him. "Oh don't make that face." she chuckled at him. After a moment of silence, she deliberated that his grumpy face did not have the same effect covered in cake batter. In fact it was the opposite. "No seriously, you are making it worse." she began to snort. She covered her face again, wiping tears now. "I'm s-so sorry, Mister Michaelis hahaha, but you just look so ridiculous! Here." She picked up a wet cloth. "Let me help you." she was not laughing anymore only grinning wide with occasional giggles.

The servants were sure that she was toast. She placed a hand on his shoulder and stood on a chair to reach him better. Fortunately Sebastian simmered down as she wiped off his face with a smile. Still fuming, but obviously calmer. "There now. All better." she smiled brightly patting his head. He stared blankly at her but she was not about to give him time to decide on the proper reaction. "Don't be cross with them Mister Sebastian. They meant no harm really. I will help them clean this up quickly. You get out of here." she gave his shoulder a shake and hopped down so that she was level with his collar once again. Really she was not that tall was she?

"I expect this place to be ready for use in…" he trailed off looking through his vest.

"Something wrong?" she asked innocently.

"….My pocket watch…" he frowned.

"Oh dear did you misplace it?" She internally giggled mischievously. Sebastian was no fool. He could clearly see the hidden amusement behind her eyes. He never misplaced _anything._

"Miss Ivy…" He narrowed his eyes. She was behind him in an instant however, pushing him along.

"Go on now. I'm certain you have things to do! Go on shoo!" she perked, trying to move him along quickly. He frowned at her over his shoulder. "Can you not go any faster? Is your ass that fat? Move it!" she pushed harder, planting her feet on the ground. They stared at her. Sebastian opened his mouth to speak. "Yes I called you fat." she stated flatly. "Now go." she tapped her foot impatiently. He glared at her.

"I am going to check on a few things. When I return. This kitchen had better be ready for use." he said darkly, and he was gone.

Ivy turned back to the astonished servants. "So then! Shall we clean this up?" she clasped her hands in front of her readily. She could definitely survive here. Wordlessly they began to clean up the mess that had been made.

…

What a day. As frustrating as it had been when it started out, it turned out to be quite nice, and rather productive if she said so herself. After cleaning up the kitchen she had given her fellow servants another hearty thank you before they all went about their business for the rest of the day. Ivy was nice and comfortable now, getting prepared for bed, and feeling quite good about herself. Just as she sleepily turned to her bed to get under the covers she nearly crashed into something dark. She frowned at it sleepily.

"Good evening Miss Ivy."

"_Ah! _Mister Michaelis! I have only been in this manor for approximately two to three days, and in that time you have insulted me, snuck up on me four times that I can think of, bullied me, belittled me, provoked me, and as of recent touched me inappropriately! What is next? Are you going to harvest my organs? Would you like me to bleed out a pint of my own blood for you? Is that it!" she held her chest with outraged eyes. "What in the ninth circle of hell are you doing in here? At this hour?" she stomped her foot. He smirked.

"I was simply coming here to inquire about my watch." he stated. Ivy felt her gut sink. She had expected to deal with this in the morning. Not now of all times. She folded her arms stubbornly and flipped her hair over her shoulder never the less. Still not willing to be one to give up too soon.

"I wouldn't know anything about that." she huffed, with her nose in the air.

"You are a bad liar." He took a step closer. She stepped back defensively with a mildly alarmed expression. Raising an eyebrow he took another step and she jerked for the door. He beat her there and slammed his hand against polished wood.

"Fine. You caught me. I swiped it during our fight." she huffed in frustration. "I suppose you'll have to find it tomorrow." Her arms folded. He narrowed his eyes.

"Where is it?" he inquired.

"Maybe I do not recall at the moment." she shrugged. The demon just watched her flatly, unimpressed.

"Miss Ivy. I will give you one proper warning before I begin to search for myself." he said calmly. She narrowed her eyes up at him and tightened her arms. "Starting with you." he added for emphasis. Now she stared wide-eyed.

"What do you mean with 'me'?" she demanded, now hugging herself. He moved toward her and she yelped loudly before quickly relenting. "OKAY! Okay. I'll give it back, but don't get on my case about anything until tomorrow." she told him warily. "I am far too sleepy to deal with this." The neko girl rubbed her eyes wearily. He stood back and folded his arms expectantly.

She headed to where she kept her uniform and opened the drawer. She pulled out the silver chain with a watch attached to the end. "Here." she held it out. He snatched it and placed it back where it belonged. Ivy sighed. "There, are you quite pleased? Now please leave, it's inappropriate for you to be in-"

"I wanted to commend you on your excellent spar today." he said simply. Ivy stared at him. He was planning to murder her wasn't he? She jumped onto her small nightstand into the crane kung-fu stance.

"Come at me just once and I will scream so loud the entire neighborhood will know." she hissed. He chuckled.

"Relax yourself little one." he held up a single hand. "There is no threat to your safety here." he stated simply. She gave him a suspicious stare as she slowly stepped down. Once she was back on her own two feet and managed to reclaim a little bit of her dignity, she huffed and folded her arms.

"I suppose I should thank you for your compliment, even if you do not deserve it." Her voice was flat. "You have your watch." she rubbed her shoulder that was knotted up from her stress. "Please leave." she pointed a finger to the door. He gave a single bow and headed out the door. She followed him to the door and before closing it she poked out her head. "Oh and um…. don't open the watch until tomorrow." she laughed to herself. "Or perhaps after I'm already asleep. Goodnight!" she closed the door. The tell tale click of a lock made him shake his head. As if a lock would do anything if he wanted to get in.

With a suspicious frown he flipped open the pocket watch. On the inside of the lid was carved in fine script _'Twat'. _He frowned deeper and glared at her door. This could be fixed easily, so there was no use crying over spilled milk. He walked down the hall and went about his business.

….

Ivy woke up with a migraine. The last thing that she had wanted was to force herself out of bed to go clean a mansion. She had done her best to be friendly to the other servants all the while nursing her head ache, and her muscles that were now sore from over exertion yesterday which she blamed on Mister life sucking, arrogant, son of the ninth circle, Michaelis. Fortunately he did not feel the need to bother her today. At the moment she was taking care of the dishes in the kitchen, muttering to herself and rubbing her right temple. Washing and drying. Washing and drying. It was all so tedious and repetitive that she could almost feel herself slowly losing focus like some sort of machine. Even when they were all finished she did not notice and tried to reach for another. When she found nothing, she snapped out of it.

"Oh bugger…I'm losing my mind." she groaned. So then…now what? She dried her hands and placed them on her hips in thought. Her train of thought was interrupted by the distressed scream that came from the laundry room. Maylene seemed to be having trouble. The neko girl decided that it would be best if she went to help her with whatever may be happening. Not to mention the scream had felt like somebody had just tried to wrap her brain around a brick. Having ears as sensitive as hers was the worst when you felt like there was a giant syringe stabbed into your temple.

Ivy hurried down the hall, gravely concerned. She blew into the room to find Maylene kneeling on the floor, and weeping over stiff unmoving fabric. The neko blinked a few times. Ivy was a compassionate creature; so her first instinct was to help out. "Maylene. What happened here!" she rushed to console the other maid. Maylene sniffed and looked at her startled for a moment before crying all over again. She lifted her glasses slightly to dry her eyes.

"Oh Miss Ivy…! It's dreadful, so horribly dreadful!" she wailed, and hugged Ivy. "Mister Sebastian is going to be so cross! I don't know what I am going to do!" The sheets did not look beyond repair. It seemed that an excess of starch was used somehow. Ivy was confident that it could be quickly taken care of.

"Did you use too much starch?" she raised an eyebrow and sweat dropped.

"I accidentally used the starch instead of the detergent! Oh what a foolish maid I am!" Maylene lamented her mistake. Ivy might have guessed. She sighed. Scratching the back of her head, she assessed the extent of the damage. She gave the spectacled maid a reassuring smile.

"Not to worry May…we can fix this in a quick minute." She cheered happily. Yes she could fix it. They just needed to get started right away before…

Crap. Sebastian stared at the abused linens from the doorway. He glared at the maroon haired maid. "What have you done this time, Maylene." he demanded darkly. He entered the room and Ivy felt the temperature drop dramatically. Maylene seemed fairly resigned to her fate. Ivy was having none of it however. Before Maylene could speak she curtly stepped in front of her.

"It was my mistake, Mister Michaelis." she said professionally. He seemed surprised at this declaration. He blinked at the young neko. Ivy felt slightly uncomfortable. "I am feeling very unwell today and I accidentally mistook the starch for the detergent. I apologize." she clasped her hands, awaiting whatever would come next. Sebastian stared at her momentarily before his face darkened. How on earth could you make a mistake like that? It seemed so adverse to her character. Unless he had misjudged. What a colossal mess.

He towered over the girl and looked over at Maylene who just stared in dumb shock. His strange ruby gaze slid back to meet her clear vibrant unwavering green one. He leaned down and Ivy swallowed and blinked calmly. "I expect that a mistake of this magnitude not be repeated." he said in a dangerous tone. Ivy impassively met his tone with a wordless nod. Her own eyes holding a fierce and bold acceptance. "This mess needs to be tended to.."

"Do not bother Mister Michaelis. Maylene and I can manage." she folded her arms challengingly. He blinked in surprise at being so boldly interrupted after such a mishap. He folded his arms and gave her and the other maid a skeptical once over. Maylene looked about ready to faint or have a nervous break down. Ivy raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Do I sense your doubt that I can fix it?" she inquired, she stepped forward and poked him in the chest. How insulting. How irritatingly, and beautifully arrogant of her. Not in the least bit frightened? Her hands were now resting on her hips.

"How perceptive of you Miss Ivy." he murmured 'pleasantly'. She gave an astonished, insulted expression, now blinking at him. "I simply fail to even see how someone with perfectly good capabilities, and 20/20 vision could manage such a feat in the records of incompetence." he remarked. Her eyes narrowed much to his amusement.

"It was hardly incompetence Mister Michaelis! Rather an honest mistake brought on by absent mindedness due to a migraine that _you _are responsible for!" she retorted. "Not to mention are making it worst. Are you aiming to make my head burst?" she ranted. He gave a lopsided smirk.

"Well that would be an interesting image would it not?" he responded not missing a beat. Ivy growled in her throat, her ears resting against her head in her irritation. How absolutely darling. "Well then I will leave you to it. I suppose I should give you the benefit of the doubt considering this is your first offense. Maylene please help Miss Ivy fix this unfortunate mess." he stated before turning and leaving the room. Ivy was slightly surprised that he allowed her to do as she wished. Still, he most likely just wanted to keep to his own schedule. Bastard.

Maylene came to her senses and nodded. As the butler left the room she quickly turned to the newest servant of the household in surprise. "Miss Ivy!" she was astounded. "You did not need to take the responsibility for my folly!" She gripped Ivy's shoulders. Ivy shook her head and gripped Maylene by the shoulders as well.

"I know. Please don't shout." she squinted her eyes.

"Why would you do that for me?" Maylene asked. It was now her turn to blink in surprise. Ivy sighed.

"I don't wish Sebastian's wrath on anybody. Besides I assumed that was what best friends do." she gave her a perky reassuring smile. Maylene's breath hitched.

"Best friends?" she inquired. The neko laughed.

"Of course silly goose. That's what we are, aren't we? At least I had _hoped_ that we could be." she admitted. "I never had another girl to play with as a child, I really did not have any friends where I came from. I had always hoped that someday I could have a female friend that I could relate to and hold dear." Maylene listened as the other girl poured her heart out. "A best friend you see…-you don't think me presumptuous do you?" Ivy asked courteously. It would be really embarrassing for her to have freaked out her fellow maid.

"Of course not." Maylene smiled at her. "I've never had another girl to confide in either…I think it's a good idea." she gave the peace sign. Ivy giggled happily. "Thank you for getting me out of trouble with Sebastian." Maylene added in.

"Not a problem. Let's see what we can do here." Ivy chuckled.

….

Ivy had returned to the kitchen to put away the dried dishes. She gracefully stood on chairs or on the counter to place them into the cabinets neatly. Quietly she sung a little song to herself. A French piece by one Claude Debussy, title "Romance". It was meant for a soprano and by listening one could tell that Miss Ivy was indeed a soprano. In the meantime Sebastian checked up on the linens, pleasantly surprised that the problem had been dealt with so quickly. Thus she unwittingly earned some measure of respect from the demon butler.

"_La'me evaporee…et soufte,…La'me douce,…lame-o-do-ran-te, Des lis di- vins que jai' cueil-lis, Dan le jardin de ta pen-see…"_ She paused and hummed more of the tune. She stepped down to the floor. It seemed that some of the silverware was often missing in this manor. She rolled her eyes. 'I wonder why?' She polished a few knives and forks, opening the designated drawer, and sorting them compulsively into their proper order. Her humming continued to soothe her nerves, though it did little for the splitting pain still assaulting her head. Suddenly, in what to anybody else would seem like a completely random outburst of insanity she threw a handful of the knives and forks she was working on at the kitchen door. The amused snicker came not a moment too soon. "Go away." she demanded flatly, not even looking at the butler.

"That was most surprising." he remarked.

"I've already detected you before." she retorted, contemplating on finding a way to use a butter knife to cut through an artery and end this misery of hers.

"I was referring to the piece you were singing." he corrected. Now she looked at him. Eyes narrowed. "You recited it quite nicely. You speak French?" he asked. Ivy made a few faces to herself before replying.

"..And other dialects…not as fluently as I would like, however." she admitted. "However I _will _understand it if other's are speaking it to me or to somebody else. My mother was training me in linguistics along with everything else. I never quite had the time to learn everything as you can see." her voice was flat, without emotion. The last thing she wanted was to pour her heart out right now. Never to him. Hell no. She continued to work hoping that he would eventually leave. He didn't. With an annoyed huff she looked up at him. "What?" She folded her arms.

He simply smiled in that way that made her uneasy. He had to be creepy like that on purpose. He slid the knives and forks that were tossed at him toward her. "Nothing. You are simply exceedingly charming." He shrugged. Ivy stared at him. Not even blinking. Without a word she simply went back to working. Rather clumsily this time around however.

"Is there a reason why you are here?" she asked, keeping her voice from cracking. She was hurrying herself to finish so that she could leave. 'Please say there's a reason.' she begged mentally. He grinned as if hearing her thoughts.

"As a matter of fact-"

"No spars! I am feeling far too ill to be-"

"No." he assured.

"Oh…good then…well what is it?" she looked back up at him, closing the drawer.

"Well, normally when one needs to be in the kitchen it is because they have to prepare something." he explained rather condescendingly. Ivy glared and placed her hands on her hips. Forget puncturing her own artery she much preferred to use the silverware to take out those constantly smoldering eyes of his. What was up with the way he used his face? He tilted his head 'innocently' making the irritated neko chew the inside of her cheek.

"I am perfectly aware of what a kitchen is used for. What exactly does that have to do with me pray?" she asked as calmly as she could manage. He briefly crouched and opened a low cabinet, pulling out a silver bowl and placing it on the counter top.

"I have to bake something, preferably in a hurry considering it is already exceedingly late." he began. "I want you to fetch a cutting board, and one of the flat silver platters." He ordered mechanically. Ivy simply stared at him incredulously. Well this certainly was new. What exactly was he up to?

"You are asking me to help you?" she skeptically inquired her supervisor. He never needed help with these matters before. In fact he shunned the servants when he was cooking or otherwise. Exacting and self-sufficient as ever. Then again he did have every right to be so if anybody did.

"Only because I am in a hurry. Please make haste and do as I ask, oh yes…please take out the strawberries while you do that and start cutting their tops off." he was rolling up his sleeves and taking out a wooden spoon. This was utterly ridiculous. However, Ivy was not about to argue with him. With a resigned sigh she leapt dexterously back onto the counter to search for the platter he apparently needed. After a moment of searching she discovered it.

"Will any do?" she asked professionally. He looked over his shoulder and nodded wordlessly. She tossed the plate at him like a deadly Frisbee. He easily caught it with an amused gleam in the visible eye over his shoulder. She ignored him, hopping back down and commencing the search for a cutting board. Finding it in the wash, she dried it off with a towel, all the while pretending that the demon was not in the room with her. Tapping her bottom lip with a single finger she pondered on where she could find the strawberries. Soon forgetting the noise in the background as Sebastian worked, she bounded casually toward the pantry. It looked charred and some shelves were broken. 'What happened here?' She could only attribute it to Bard's doing.

"Voila." she murmured softly to herself. "I will be washing these off in the scullery." she informed in a sing song tone. She skipped off, not bothering to wait for a response. It was only necessary to wash fruit before eating them anyway. She passed by Bard and tried not to let him see that she was helping out in the kitchen while he was most likely banned. He seemed to be too absorbed in conversation with Maylene to notice anyway.

When she returned to the kitchen with the washed strawberries, Sebastian had already finished with the batter and was placing the pan into the preheated oven. Not surprising. She placed the fruits beside the cutting board and was made extremely aware of how hungry she was all of the sudden. She went back to the drawers and pulled out a cutting knife. The young girl distracted herself from the appetizing smell of the cake in the over and the strawberries by focusing on her task. Glancing over at the butler, she could see him making some of that homemade butter cream frosting that Finni never stopped talking about.

"How many do you need?" she asked him as she dropped the green useless tops into a pile beside her left arm. They were baking a cake…so most likely he was in a hurry to avoid severely annoying the Earl by getting him his snack any later. Still that seemed pretty unlike him. From what she had observed, annoying people seemed to be a very fond source of entertainment to the Phantomhive's butler. God did she ponder methods of murder when it came to him. He looked over at her.

"It does not matter. Just make a sufficient pile." he waved it off. With an indifferent shrug she continued cutting. When he appeared beside her she flinched and fumed at him. Taking a strawberry, he took the knife from her hand. "After you finish cutting the tops, take half and cut them into slices…like an orange." he demonstrated as he spoke. Ivy's very detail oriented eyes watched and absorbed the method before nodding. Handing the knife back to her, he went back to doing what he had to do. Taking a taste of the frosting, he nodded to himself.

Ivy's stomach rumbled, recognizing the smell of chocolate. 'Chocolate.' she thought mournfully to herself. Sebastian breezed past her and pulled out an icing bag from a cabinet beside her, just above her head. She could hear him murmuring steps to himself.

'At least she follows directions without getting in the way.' Sebastian thought to himself with relief. Preparing the icing bag, he smirked out of the corner of his eyes at her. She looked something like a little girl….yet far from it. Her ears moving here and there to better pick up the sound of her surroundings. Ah yes, cats were certainly such dear creatures. The cake was ready and he frosted it. "I'm finished." she spoke up. "So am I done here?" she rubbed her hands, ready to leave.

"Shave this." he handed her a block of chocolate. Her eyes widened. So much chocolate. Stars filled her vision before she could get upset about staying. Oh he was good. She picked up the knife trying not to drool. Sebastian held a composed expression in a contemplative pose, trying not to laugh. "Do not turn the whole thing to shreds, Miss Ivy." he warned. "I want clean curled shavings, and no pinching from the block. I _will _find out." he added simply. Ivy snorted at him.

"Simple." she said smugly. She was a blur of speed before a very lovely neat pile of shavings rested at the butler's disposal. "All ready." she smiled. He was decorating the sides of the cake with the icing bag and Ivy titled her head curiously. "Mister Michaelis…"

…..

Bard was making his way toward the kitchen with Finnian after the gardener had smelled something that he described as "amazing and chocolatey." He figured at first that Sebastian might be making the young master's snack but it was a bit early for that so he was curious. They both just barely reached the door before they heard voices. The two servants frowned before listening in.

"It's not coming out." Miss Ivy's voice sounded from the kitchen, sounding frustrated.

"You are doing it wrong." They recognized Sebastian's voice and listened in. "Do not do that you will damage it." he scolded.

"Well I'm sorry! It's not working. It's too big." she whined.

"You've never seen on this size?" he inquired. "You're not a baby."

"I asked you to show me how not, leave me on my own without a paddle here." she pointed out. Bard and Finni both exchanged very concerned expressions.

"Here. Give me your hands. No squeezing. Like this."

"Oh I see."

"Much better." They leaned on the door at this point with saucer eyes.

"I did it. Finally!"

"That was not so hard was it?"

"No. Not really actually…. can I taste it?"

"Naturally. Here. Mind that you do not get any in your hair or on the uniform." he warned. What the hell was going on in there! The head chef and the gardener both gaped like fish. Suddenly the door was swung open and they both toppled into the kitchen, hitting the tile floor with a thud in a pile of limbs. Sebastian was giving them a seething expression, arms folded. Ivy simply sat on the counter cross-legged staring at them with a raised eyebrow. On her lap was an icing bag.

"What are you two doing?" she asked in confusion. They both blushed awkwardly. First Bard tried to explain but only trailed off and Finnian stuttered, turning redder and redder by the second. Ivy blinked at them slightly put off by their odd behavior.

"It matters little. Especially since Finnian should be trimming the hedges outside and Bard should be cleaning up the pantry after that little incident today." Sebastian sounded menacing. He did not like idle servants who eavesdropped pointlessly. They both cowered and stuttered some more.

"Right away, Mister Sebastian!" Finnian ran down the hall ever eager to get back outside. Bard simply saluted before he bolted as well. They both deemed it best that this little misunderstanding be kept to themselves. It was a silent agreement to take it to their graves. Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Ivy shrugged and got down from her perch. Sebastian frowned looking at the cake. There was a strawberry missing. He looked at Ivy, who smiled angelically.

"I'm never going to get this finished if you pick off of the cake." he lectured in annoyance. She shrugged as he replaced the fruit. He looked again and three more were gone. His eye twitched. How in the ninth circle of home did she do that! Now he glared. "Are you a compulsive eater?" he asked. She blushed. Her mouth was still full and there was icing on the corner of her lip. "Stop. It's a terrible habit." he stated flicking the sugar from her lip. She nodded grudgingly. Repairing the damage on the pastry, he sprinkled the chocolate shavings artfully along the sides and some on the top. "It's done." he placed it neatly on a plate and cut a slice out.

When he pulled out a fork and handed it out to her she stared at him puzzled. "What?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Taste it." he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. This only served to confuse her even more. He picked up the plate and held the slice of cake in front of her. Hesitantly she took the fork and the plate.

"Fine…" she trailed. She was really hungry after all and how could she refuse chocolate. Besides it was not her fault, nor would it be her problem if he were not supposed to be giving out the Earl's pastries to the servants. Taking a bite, she felt her knees practically give way as the flavors and textures of the cake blended together in perfection. "Mmm." she managed with surprise. She had not assumed that it would taste _this _good.

"It's good I will assume." Sebastian uttered as he gathered the mess left behind. "You like it?" he inquired. Ivy was speechless for a moment.

"Like it? My _God. _It can not be described as anything less than sinful!" she said astounded. He scoffed. How quaint. What an ironic choice of words. To her surprise he pushed the cake towards her.

"Then I know you can finish it, chocolate monster." He drawled. Ivy sputtered and choked. Sebastian gave a concealed grin.

"I beg your pardon-"

"It's yours," he stated. "Since the servants could not manage properly yesterday." he added still fuming a bit over the little accident in the kitchen. "A belated birthday present if you will." he explained. Ivy had to sit now. Oh boy. Her head was really killing her now if it was not before. When she looked back up Sebastian was already gone.

She stared at the cake unsure of whether to eat it or not. Was there some kind of poison in this? She paced back and forth debating with herself. Biting her lip, she looked at the cake again, then growled and kept pacing. She stopped abruptly and pulled at her hair a bit before storming out of the kitchen, only to find herself running back in. "Oooh." she whimpered angrily at herself, pulling her hair. She picked the pastry up and put it back down several times. Finally she held it but only paced around with it in her arms. Good idea? Bad idea? What sort of ulterior motive could he possibly have? He did not strike her as the type to do something like this out of the 'kindness of his own heart'…whether he even had one or not.

Still she had eaten some of it already and nothing had happened to her so far. Finally she decided that whatever his motives may be it did not matter. If he wanted to give her pastries that tasted better than ambrosia that was his beef. She would eat the cake, but refuse to let it change a thing. Even if it was a sweet gesture. Literally. Hmm. He probably would not like it if she ate it in her room. Messy, messy and all that. She giggled to herself before making a beeline for her room.

…

Bard and Finnian behaved a bit bashful around Ivy for a while but soon things went back to their normal swing. She shared the cake with the others happily. They were so happy that Sebastian had taken their attempt to cheer Ivy up to heart. The half-neko girl was simply happy to be making friends so quickly. She came to absolutely love the servants here so far. Bard had decided that even if she was a bio experiment she was okay by him. Slightly insulting but well meant so she ignored it. Letting it slide. He was only human after all.

As for Ciel. He was a very distant being. It seemed to be in his nature. What sort of child never wanted to run outside in the rain and behave like a maniac every now and then? Never had she met a boy like him before. Still she did not dare impose her presence on him. It would not have worked if somebody had done it to her as a child, and it would most definitely not work with him. Her mind worked over the idea of a demon butler. A fully formed contract. It chilled her to the bone when she pondered the idea of a child like Ciel being dragged down to the pits of hell. He was not a bad boy. He was a boy who was hurting constantly. Even more than she did as a little girl.

Thinking about it as she worked late she was filled with resentment toward his butler. It was true he could not have forced the child into a contract but it still upset her. The day had gone on and Ivy was dealing with the dishes after dinner. She had shooed Maylene to bed earlier because she required less sleep and could handle it herself. Plus…honestly the maroon haired maid kept dropping the dishes and it had been turning Ivy into a nervous wreck.

"Working late I see." a familiar voice declared. She sighed. The neko decided that she might as well set boundaries here and now.

"I pray that you do not believe that gesture from today appropriate, because I was made uncomfortable by it." she informed honestly. His voice like deep, smooth, velvet chuckled.

"I decided that it was the least that I could do after doing a lady so much injustice during her first few days at the Phantomhive manor." He said this with mock gallantry. Oh yeah right. Ivy fought the urge to projectile barf onto his shoes over the sheer oiliness in his demeanor. She dried her hands roughly and stood up.

"Hmph!" She rolled her eyes and folded her slender arms. "Mister Michaelis, please correct me if I am mistaken, but I do not recall you to be the type to care about such things." She began curtly. "As a matter of fact I am convinced in my belief that you are harboring some manner of ulterior motive by doing this." she informed confidently. There was no reason to doubt it. He grinned almost like a Cheshire cat.

"I suppose this ulterior motive of mine that you speak of vexes your curiosity in a shocking way, to make you accuse a simple birthday cake as 'inappropriate'." he responded not missing a beat. Her green eyes lit up ever so slightly.

"So am I to understand that you are admitting to it?" she inquired.

"Would that surprise you?" he arched an elegant eyebrow. Before Ivy could make a remark in regards to that he added in a quick "No, Miss Ivy. I have no reason. Simply enjoy my rare generosity and accept my apology." he bowed at the waist, making Ivy feel quite insulted. She made a few unladylike faces at him.

"The cake I did enjoy as I told you openly before in my ignorance." she admitted with a loud puff of breath.

"You told me that it was nothing short of 'sinful'?" he chuckled once again at her word choice. "How very befitting if I do say so myself." he pondered. Ivy scoffed and blew a defiant strand of hair from her face.

"Cheeky." she muttered.

"Indeed." he responded simply. He smirked again.

Ignoring him she continued. "In any case I just wanted to tell you that my opinion of you has not changed." she stated. "You are still a bastard."

"Really?" he questioned, eyes dancing with amusement. He was clearly entertained by this conversation.

"In all honesty Mister Michaelis-"

"Sebastian." he cut in.

"Excuse me?" she looked at him oddly.

"Mister Sebastian." he corrected casually. Ivy allowed her arms to unfold and rest on her hips expectantly. She shifted her body weight to one leg, tapping her foot. It was a silent demand for an explanation. Was he suggesting she address him less formally? Ha! God forbid she allow him closer to her in any way, shape, or form. She would call him whatever she damned well pleased. Sebastian's eyes seemed to rake up her form before he spoke up. Miss Ivy did indeed have a spectacular figure.

He grinned. "Miss Ivy, you are the only servant in the manor who addresses me as Mister Michaelis. It is not uniform." he said simply. Ivy felt sick to her stomach at the faux civility. Was he aware of how slimy he made himself seem?

"Pray forgive my reluctance." she deadpanned sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I am not comfortable being so familiar with you." she added in.

"I fail to see it as such a familiar thing to address me as everybody else does." he remarked.

"Yes well I fail to see the importance either way." she flipped her hair.

"Touche. A simple suggestion." he waved it off dismissively. "You are welcome to address me as you wish then." The half-neko sucked her teeth with disdain.

"Right then." she perked. "Shall we get on with our lives in that case, Mister Michaelis?" she asked, smoothing out her apron. She was anxious to get some water and go to bed.

"Quite." he smiled charmingly. He certainly did have a charming smile.

"Good day then." she curtly fast walked toward the exit, unaware of the bounce she added to her naturally charming swish. Ears held straight up with dignity. Sebastian allowed himself a soft snicker.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright this chappie is done now as well. Not much to declare since it is mostly just copied work from before. Any way Ciao all!


	8. That Maid Adapting

Author's Note: So sad. The next four chapters are going to be a great challenge to me so yeah lol. I am not sure that I'm looking forward to it. .! There are so many scenes that I really don't want to get rid of but I might have to let them go and its quite upsetting, but hey maybe I can do something similar to them in later chapters. I hope the newer version that I come up with for these events wont be forced, or lame, or boring to me. How depressing would that be after so much effort? Anyway the new chapter beginning the public school arc was disappointingly short. Honestly I wonder what could be the plot focus of this arc, hopefully its not anything lame. Anyway, a hearty 'Ciao!' to all who care to listen. P.S. what the hell is with Earl Gray and his need to terrorize Ciel in anyway he can?

Disclaimer: Let me have my fun folks! I own absolutely nothing. All of Kuroshitsuji belongs to Yana Toboso. The end. But wouldn't it be the most fun thing ever if we did own it? Ah, the hilarity that would be ensued. Much more Grell laughter, Sebastian would get the crap kicked out of him by a crazy nun at some point, Lizzy would be more epic, and William would have his nose honked and his underwear pulled over his head by a random character every time he bitched too much. Jk about the last part but the idea cracked me the hell up when it came to mind.

**Chapter Eight: That Maid Adapting**

_"Do not tell a woman she is pretty, tell her there is no other woman like her, and all roads will open up to you." –_ Jules Renard

Her room … this room … it was the first space that had ever belonged only to her. It felt strange, and perhaps a little bit lonely to think about. With a sigh, Ivy plopped into a seated position at the edge of her quaint little mattress and stared at her surroundings now that everything was set up. "Oh dear." She murmured softly to nobody in particular. "I guess it's time to get on with it huh?"

….

Darkness was a good place for an irate young neko to meditate. They had come so close to closing in on their query, and now once again he was stumped at a dead end. The young leader was gritting his teeth in silence. If he had to look at the others right now it would not end well, and he could not just destroy them. He brought himself out of his own thoughts by pinching the bridge of his nose. This task needed to be successful and soon. The last thing he needed was for his father to force him to come back home, how humiliating a thought that was.

Pale fingers ran across the blade he held in his lap. This weapon was capable of cutting down any obstacle that he may encounter on this errand of his. He doubted, however, that he would really need it. "Are you done sulking?" A very irritating voice inquired, quite bored already of all this lethargy. Normally the dominant young demon would not tolerate such a disrespectful attitude as the one that his current lead tracker sported shamelessly. However, he was the best in the entire clan at what he did, indispensable, and he knew too clearly.

Fists clenched, the young Lord allowed glowing furious eyes to eye him from his dark little corner. "I have not given up my search." He hissed.

"Of course you haven't. You and your precious pride would never allow for such a thing. No insult would go unaddressed by you and your crazy family. Blah, blah, blah. Can we go then already and get this hunt over with?" The other neko trackers stared in awe of their superior's gall as he openly sassed the young Lord.

Calmly he closed his eyes, once he had no need for the smart mouths expertize he could deal with his insubordination. For now, he would simply remain silent. "If you had any spectacular ideas or leads then certainly. However since that does not seem to be the case I think I can safely tell you to swallow your tongue, before I deem its use null and tear it from your mouth." He promised darkly. This however seemed to have little affect on the slightly older neko, who simply rolled his green eyes and held up his hands in a mock 'watch out now' manner.

Loose and mouthy as ever, but…what else could one expect from the likes of the Ashcrofts.

….

Ivy brushed the dirt from her apron as her and Maylene got to their feet. Their duties had been going so well too. "What in hell fire?" she looked around at the pit that both girls had failed to notice. Dirty water and suds soaked their uniforms here and there. This was all that was missing from her day, one would have assumed that being back to her temporary home would have been a relief but no, not when said establishment was the Phantomhive manor. They looked up to the mouth of the large crater and gaped. What had happened here? They heard Finni's mournful warbles and sighed. Bard's head poked over the edge to look down at them, laughing nervously. On his head was the signature shrub from when she had first come upon one of his personal disasters. Ivy folded her arms, glaring heatedly up at him.

"Um…Well Finni…we definitely know not to use that much gunpowder at least." he tried to make light of this even though they all know it was impossible. Ivy tapped her foot in agitation. Oh boy. She could feel a new migraine coming on. "You guys need help getting out?" he asked.

"Bard! What have you and Finni done?" she demanded ignoring the current situation for the moment. She was dying to know how they managed this one. Finnian poked his head in to look down at them as well. He was in tears at this point, sporting his own mini shrub. Ivy shook her head and sighed as he blubbered on the story, not making any sense at all even to her ears. "Bard translate!" she told him sternly. This was not pretty. Not at all. What an utter mess!

"Right." he nodded. "I think we should get you out of there first though…before…" he trailed. The last thing he needed was to jinx them in such a dire situation. "...Somebody…sees." he managed. Ivy merely huffed at this. She needed no help to get out of there. However, she could understand his nervousness.

"We don't need help." she said flatly as she snatched the buckets. With one arm she got a firm hold of Maylene around the waist and jumped out with all the grace and dexterity of a cat. They blinked at her, impressed for a few seconds. "Now. Talk." she pressed. 'Oh Lord.' she thought to herself as she eyed the diameter of this crater. It was going to be a nightmare filling it in. "Look at the area this covers!" she exclaimed. They were all so dead just for being in the same general area of this thing. Her and Maylene had been so absorbed in conversation, and disposing of the buckets of dirty water from mopping the massive house, that they hadn't seen it and walked right into it.

"Alright. I was testing out the new shipment of gunpowder. Nothing dangerous for an expert, just a pinch of the stuff and a match." he began. Ivy pursed her lips. "Anyway Finni happened to be nearby trimming the stray branches of a few trees…he tripped or something and my match went flying and lit up the whole group." he wiped his face looking miserable. Ivy felt bad for his situation, but really he should have taken aside a barrel first. She attributed it to his over confidence around explosives that he'd developed over the years. She massaged her temples.

"This is bad, …" she breathed nervously. "This is very bad." She began to pace about trying to figure out what to do. Mister Michaelis was going to…oh Lord Mister Michaelis. The servants all looked as though they were about to face off the hounds of hell. They were more right than they knew. When he saw this…she did not know what he would do.

"What are we going to do about Mister Sebastian?" Maylene asked in terror. Ivy looked at them nervously.

"If we don't say something he'll kill us all." She remarked. They all exchanged glances. "There's no way he is not going notice this, if he fusses at me over a speck of sauce being on the wrong side of a plate, he will notice this." she added miserably. This was a dire situation indeed. Thinking hard she spoke up once again. "We need to somehow replace the gunpowder and that is the least of our worries. I doubt we have enough soil in the green house to fill this hole…but the debris from the explosion looks semi-sufficient to-" she pursed her lips and trailed off as the servants all stared at her… -or rather _behind _her-, all trembling. Oh yes. There was that presence again. It encircled the entire group, as dark and suffocating as ever.

Slowly she turned around, only to see the very dreaded yet inevitable sight of the demon butler of Phantomhive. He stared at the crater, unblinking and stiff. He looked about ready to have a conniption to Ivy. His left eye twitched. Completely astonished and beyond livid at this point. Ivy could feel all of it, rolling through and off his aura like molten rock. Even she could not help but pale a bit and shake ever so slightly. No words were exchanged. She looked over at the others. The servants looked like they were about to be boiled in oil. His focus was on the singed forms of Finnian and Bard. They could see their own deaths in his eyes.

"_May I ask…what happened here?" _he inquired with the most frightening smile that Ivy had ever seen him make. She looked at them as they stuttered on their explanations.

"Well." she cut in, taking a step forward and regretting it right away but continuing regardless. She had a stick to your guns policy. "There was a mishap with the shipment of gunpowder…um half of it is still intact but…as you can see…" she was not sure how to explain this without somebody getting their flesh chewed off. He continued to stare at the decimated garden. Maylene inched away wisely. Ivy shifted her feet hoping he would not resort to anything like medieval torture on the poor male servants.

"We are real sorry, Mister Sebastian!" Finni cried. He hated disappointing the butler of Phantomhive.

"…_Half of the shipment…" _The demon butler trailed off. He slowly turned to look at Finni and Bard darkly, over the top of her head. Ivy stepped back from him slightly. "_You idiots…" _he stated. In an instant the two of them were bolting faster than Ivy had ever seen any human run.

"Kyaaaaahhhhh!"

He followed after them in an eerily calm way. Not even bothering to run. They would tire out soon enough. Maylene clung to Ivy's arm almost painfully as they watched the scene. After the women of the household were left alone Ivy cleared her throat. "Well…all right then." she tried to brush it off. She wanted to help them, but Sebastian was more likely to rip through her like wet tissue paper to get to them at this point, than to listen to anybody. "I suppose we should get back to work then." she moistened her lips and swallowed. Maylene nodded in agreement. With that, they were both off. Really he was such a bully. Ivy rolled her eyes.

…..

Later on in the day, after Sebastian had placed a new order, and had Finnian clear out the debris and use some of it to fill in the hole with Bard -The two of them still nursing bruises and nasty bumps-, he now found himself hurrying to the back of the manor. It had been the epitome of murderous intent and frustration. Now he had to see her again before he lost his mind. He hurried through the manor grounds in search of his lady. He had her favorite snack prepared. Fortunately he was able to find her where she usually was.

"Why hello." he smiled, already feeling better now that he saw her.

"Meow." the black cat responded as she rubbed against his leg, waiting for her treat. He knelt down and scooped her up, rubbing her belly affectionately. He blinked in astonishment upon noticing his little friend's new companion. There was an elegant Maine Coon, sitting just hidden beneath the shade of a bush. What would such a lovely and expensive breed be doing as a stray? Humans really had no sense of class these days. He was enthralled by it's silver tabby pattern and well-groomed fur. Possibly recently lost. Female.

He smiled putting his other little friend down. The new visitor straightened her posture, eyeing him critically. "Ah, it seems there is a proper lady in my midst." he said delightedly. They were usually quite large cats so by her size he could tell she was still young. "Come now. There is no need to fear." he beckoned the little creature, reaching out a hand slowly. Her ears went back and she hissed at him. "Oh my." he drew back apologetically. She turned her back to him with disdain. "Now who does that remind me of?" he sighed feeling quite heartbroken to meet the first cat that seemed to hate him.

He placed the little plate in front of the little black cat and stroked her soft ears. The other cat just swished her tail in agitation before making her exit. He sighed. What a perfectly high maintenance little lady he had just met. She reminded him a bit of the young master. Only far more adorable.

He needed to make arrangements for the trip. Find some decent Inns. So he sadly and hesitantly parted with his little cat. Picking her up again he felt her paw pads between his fingers. "I will see you tomorrow." he rubbed his cheek against the soft fur.

…..

Everything was ready for tomorrow. Sebastian had only just put his young master to bed. He had been running up and down all day. After the issue of the garden was finally taken care of he breathed a lot easier. These idiots were going to drive the demon insane. As he made his way down the hall and blew out the candlestick in his hand he heard something. There was a brief sound coming from the kitchen as he listened he heard nothing else. If there were mice in the manor again it would be problematic. He went to go check it out.

…..

Ivy let out a relieved breath as she barely caught a spoon that her tail had bumped. Her tail was a lot more mobile when she was in her nightgown. Placing the utensil back down she opened another cabinet. Now where did that butler keep the matches? Well what do you know, Bard was not here when she needed him. He would definitely know where the matches were kept. She had a few of her supplies already out. If she were lucky nobody would ever know. All right so she was well aware that it was near impossible to do anything under Sebastian Michaels nose without him knowing about it. Still maybe if she was just careful enough she could pull it off. One can dream can't they?

To her dismay she caught footsteps coming just outside the door. Sod! "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she whispered harshly swiping her supplies under her arm and looking around desperately. There was no doubt about who was coming. She crouched down in front of the lower cabinets, opening them swiftly as the footsteps grew louder. Her eyes were wild. Dumping them into a pot and covering it up she could hear the handle click. No no no no no no! What now?

….

Sebastian's sensitive could easily make out the sound of scuffling and raised an eyebrow as he pushed open the door to the kitchen. He stared blankly when he came upon…what seemed like nothing. Hmm. Not very convincing. He folded his arms with a frown. Who was hiding in here at this time of night? The demon walked into the kitchen with a bored expression. There was nothing to be seen out in the open. One cabinet door was left half open, he rolled his eyes. He bent over and opened said door all the way. Certainly not expecting this.

"Meow?" A large pair of green eyes blinked out at him from the dark of the cabinet.

"Now how on earth did you get in here?" he reached in and scooped up the same little Maine Coon from back in the garden. She seemed to allow it without a fuss this time. "Oh. So you are playing nice now?" he scratched her ears. She purred and he laughed. "Poor thing, you must be hungry." he cuddled her, happily enjoying the texture of perfectly soft fur.

Ivy was ready to die from horror at her situation. _'Come on' _she encouraged herself. '_Just continue to be cute! You are cute and cuddly. I know it is extremely creepy as hell, but remember the goal.' _she internally ranted. When he rubbed her belly though her eyes nearly popped. Oh Lord. She might not be able to take this anymore without screaming in indignation. "Ah you have such soft paws." he complimented. Ivy had never wanted him dead so badly ever before this moment. She growled mentally. '_Enough with the touching Mister Michaelis.' _she gritted angrily. He sat and held her on his lap. '_I am going to be sick.' _She tried not to cry.

Now the freak had lifted her and nuzzled her fur with his cheek. At that moment Ivy almost really yelled at him but swallowed it painfully. She did her best to think of something else. She even pretended that she was not even there at all. Nope, she was not. She was in her room hugging her pillow. '…_A very creepy, pillow, that is fondling me…' _she muttered cynically. Damn it. Her attempts at detaching from the situation were cut short by his voice.

"You know, you are far more agreeable as a cat…. Miss Ivy."

"ALRIGHT NO! NO! THAT IS IT! YOU FILTHY MOLESTOR! PUT ME DOWN!" she snapped as she wriggled violently. "This instant, Mister Michaelis!" she screeched insistently. She would never ever be the same again. He knew! He knew it all along! Oh Lord! No! She had never felt more violated in quite some time. He was laughing at her now too! Oooh, she would show him something funny! With a snarl she went back to her original form. "You knew! You _knew!_" she wailed attacking him almost rabidly.

"Not so loud, Miss Ivy."

"Miss Ash- Miss Gateau!" she snapped. Ivy nearly kicked herself for that near slip of the tongue. He seemed to notice it too but made no remark. Great. Now he definitely knew her initials and had an idea of her last name. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"You decided what I address you as, the moment I decide how you address me," he reminded her of their previous encounter in here. She tried to claw at him in frustration. "As I said." he stated blocking her attempts on his person. "Not so loud. You would not want any servants getting the wrong idea." he remarked dryly. She gaped at him.

"Does this appear to be the _right _idea to you to begin with, Mister Michaelis?" she demanded angrily, suddenly regretting going back to her normal form while still being held. Her face went red with anger and humiliation. He shrugged with another infuriating smile of his. She sighed. "Let me up." she demanded flatly. He released her and she shot to her feet.

"What were you doing in here at this hour?" he asked. She had forgotten about that in her horror. Damn it all.

"It is not important anymore." she muttered. He raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? So you were not planning on using that?" he pointed at two chocolate bars on the counter on the other side of the counter. She slapped a hand to her forehead. In her panic she had not seen them. The girl let out a tired groan. "Did I not tell you when you first came here that I did not want you pinching from the chocolate supply?" he inquired. Ivy only folded her arms and her posture sank as her bottom lip jutted into her very weary pout.

"I was going to do something for sentimental reasons. I used to do it every year at the orphanage…it's a human thing you could not hope to understand it so don't even try." she sighed. "In any case now that I've had an extremely trying day…and now night. I have just decided that I will simply forget about it. I'm too tired." She compulsively began to put the stuff she took out away. He stood and smiled down at her.

"You can shape shift I see." he commented.

"Not like the full breeds. They can transform into powerful monstrous cat beasts, and me? Well I am stuck as a fluffy kitten due to my lack of power. Pretty much harmless." she sighed miserably. The other children used to make fun of her for it. Let us give many thanks and three cheers for useless half-breed genes. She suddenly found herself with little time to lament as she was suddenly once again in far too close of a proximity to the loathsome butler.

"You by far make one of the most charming cats I have ever seen." He rubbed her ears happily. She swatted his hand and grabbed him by his tie, hissing. Her eyes were in cat like slits now, glowing. He was surprised at her reaction. She was like a minefield. How delightful.

"You will never see me like that again do you understand?" she growled with all the venom of her being. "…I am NOT a cat for you to play with, and I absolutely refuse to be treated as one. It is frightening and it is beyond inappropriate!" She hugged herself. "I am a lady! A woman! Not a cat. NOT a cat! I want to be treated like a Goddamned lady okay? I will bloody kill you, do you hear me? I will tear out your pelvis and nail it to your head like a crown and then find a way to make it permanent if you do not take me seriously!" she panted, catching her breath. Sebastian snickered at her. She had, had enough of him for one night. Oh no. She had, had enough of him to last for the rest of her whole life!

"I am glad you find my humiliation and misery so amusing! Goodnight Mister Michaelis! I am done here. That is it. I-am-done." she released his tie and pushed him back roughly.

"Goodnight Miss Ivy. Oh and try to watch where you are going when you leave the grounds." he smirked at her in a way that made her suddenly feel very worried about her future. "You have the tendency to become easily distracted." Wait…was he implying that he had… No she would not play his game. Rather than say anything, she brushed past him, watching him warily as she exited the kitchen. As soon as she was certain that she was alone she bolted to her room. She would have to take out extra time to look for work. Meanwhile Sebastian exited the kitchen and chuckled to himself. Well, this had been an interesting…encounter.

….

Sebastian walked into the kitchen to give the servants their jobs for the day and noticed something right off the bat. Tanaka, Bard, and Finnian all seemed perfectly okay, but the women of the household were like dead among the living. Maylene was leaning her head on the table, possibly asleep, while Ivy was sitting straight with her head drooping now and then. He frowned but said nothing directly to them. "Good morning everybody." he greeted his subordinates. He got his usual chorus of good mornings in response except for Maylene who was promptly nudged awake by the maid sitting beside her.

She made a startled sound and an incoherent "morning mishter semashtun." Ivy let out a weary snicker even in her state. Now he turned his attention to them. "Is there something wrong?" They both shook their heads and he gave them a skeptical expression. Had they not gone to sleep last night? Shaking his head he proceeded to speak.

"Bard will clean out the stove, Finnian I want you to trim the shrubbery and _stay away from the rose bushes**, **_ladies….-wake up first of all- will divide up sides of the manor to dust and clean the floors." he ordered. "Tanaka…please take it easy." he smiled at the old servant who gave a jolly "Ho ho ho!"

"Yes sir!" They all responded and hurried off to do their first chores for the day. Before Ivy could exit the door after Maylene she was stopped.

"Miss Ivy."

"What?" she asked miserably.

"Is there a particular reason why I have two apparently undead servants lumbering around?" he asked her dryly. "Did the two of you not sleep well?" The last thing he needed was a maid as clumsy as Maylene walking around as if she were legally drunk. Ivy let out a huff before yawning slightly.

"Alright if you must know last night both Maylene and I were having trouble sleeping so we spent the night my room and talked for a while. However we were so animated that we got carried away and lost track of time. I have no idea what time it was by the time we were both finally dead to the world." The neko girl explained the story curtly and simply, no doubt wishing to get to her chores as quickly as possible. He smirked. He had noticed that when she told a story, she never mentioned the useless details and only babbled if she was extremely embarrassed about something. It was a good quality. Well she had given him quite an opening with that statement. Ambiguity was unwise to use around a certain demon. Most especially if he took great amusement in pressing your buttons.

"Carried away? I see." he stroked his chin mischievously. "I must say I never expected such a thing…the last time I encountered such a situation was quite some time ago in the harem of this one Sultan-"

"Mister Michaelis!" she snapped, stomping her foot. "Do I look like I am in any mood to hear about your many peeping conquests over the centuries? No. Do I look like I would _ever _be in the mood to hear about it? No. I don't, and shut up, I never meant it that way at all and you know it, you have a horrid, foul, and twisted mind and I will have nothing to do with it. Have a good day elsewhere." She curtly muttered. He lifted his eyebrows. She just called him a …'peeper'? He scoffed.

"Meant it like what Miss Ivy?" he inquired in mock innocence. Oh he was good.

"Oh no you don't!" The neko self-righteously huffed, squaring her shoulders. "I will say nothing to compromise myself to your cruel form of self amusement." she stated firmly. He simply grinned at her.

"All joking aside…you should honestly be more considerate of the humans around you." He stated. Her eyes popped and she rolled them while arms folded themselves across her chest. Look at who was talking about being considerate! This felt very similar to getting told by Genghis Khan to play nicely. No. She would not respond to the madness.

Really after she and Maylene's shared experience back in the laundry room, they had become a bit keener on spending time together. Being the only two girls made it imperative to have a break from the sea of testosterone they lived in. She tapped her foot impatiently upon noticing that he was in fact still talking. Oh bugger. At least she had successfully tuned him out already at this point. Staring blankly at his face, she blinked a few times. '_He has very long eye lashes…is that normal?' _she thought absently.

"…She is clumsy enough as it is and work here should be well done-"

"Kiss me." she interrupted.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing. I was simply hoping that by saying something outrageous or unexpected that I might earn a stupefied silence, thus gaining for myself a few seconds of relief from this misplaced, unnecessary, and down right likely to be _boring_ lecture, if I cared to take the time to listen to anything you had to say." she explained. "I used to do it all the time. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not…but it is always worth a try… and to be fair I dare say it worked this time to a certain extent. However, I believe it might have worked much better if I had asked you to marry me instead." She shrugged. He stared blankly. A lecture, she said? "Good day." she smiled cheerfully before exiting, far too caught up in her own little world once again to notice him or his reactions anymore. He could hear her muttering about coffee absently as she made her way down the hall. Had she just silenced him without him realizing it?

…..

The days at the Phantomhive manor always seemed so sluggish to the neko, though she must say it was far better being there than at the orphanage. Though there was always something to be done in both places, the atmosphere was different and tasks were not carried on through deep moods of melancholy.

Most of Ivy's entire life was spent around children. They did not trouble her. In fact she had become used to the presence of children, it was soothing despite the responsibility that came with it. Taking care of anyone weaker than her was something that gave her purpose, besides she liked children and children seemed to like her back. The neko felt most at ease with them.

Things between her and her new employer however, were rather awkward. They never truly could say that they spoke to one another. Not really, and when they came across one another in any circumstance other than when he needed something from her they would only ever exchange a strange glance from one another before continuing on their way. Neither could tell if there was any resentment from the other. It was almost like being sized up. What did she look like to him? A rabid squirrel waiting for him to turn around? Honestly she had no desire to harm a twelve-year-old boy. What would that gain her? Nothing much, besides having her flesh chewed off by a pissed off demon while she was still alive and wriggling. No that was not exactly an appealing award. Besides she was more fascinated by him than anything.

She was told to clean out cobwebs in the basement so in the basement she was. Most people were spooked by places like this. She cared little after seeing all that she had seen in her life at such a young age. A dark room was nothing to be bothered by. She quietly hummed another old tune to herself. This place was actually a perfect place to explore. There were some excellent hiding places and sheets over paintings and old furniture.

To do her job while remaining as silent as a shadow- as Sebastian always said- was not even an issue for her. Being half neko demon she was made for subtlety. They were not as strong or powerful as the fire djinn, but they were twice as stealthy. That point being why her slight of hand often slipped past the butler's guard. Something tickled her ear and she quickly noted a spider struggling in her hair. She slapped it off and smashed it beneath her foot with a hiss. She hated spiders with a passion. She always had. It was only natural that she would run into them when dealing with cobwebs but that did not make her like them any more than she did.

Normally it would be hard to reach all of the webs but luckily that was not a problem for her either. She pranced around soundlessly in the dark with a feather duster. Her attention was quite intent on her job until her skirt snagged on something and she paused. It was an exposed corner of a large rectangular frame of some sort. A photograph? A painting? Curiosity got the best of the little neko and she tilted her head at it. Gently she freed her skirt and reached for the sheet covering it with her pointed ears resting back against her head cautiously.

She slid the white, slightly dusty covering down to reveal a large painted portrait. There was an elegant, lovely lady with very blue dancing eyes. She was seated on a cushy chair in a very traditional pose for English ladies having their likenesses taken. Her hair looked almost like spun gold and her skin was fair and perfect. Still her attention was quickly stolen by the tall man standing beside the chair with a charismatic smile and a hand on his wife's slender shoulder. His hair was a grayish, blue-black hue. Like his little son. Like Ciel. Could this be, Earl Vincent Phantomhive then? Well of course it had to be. Who else could it be? By his demeanor would it make sense otherwise? Then the woman in the portrait must have been Lady Rachel, Ciel's mother. However…why was this portrait down here?

All that Ivy really knew of the young Earl of Phantomhive was that a terrible incident had left him all on his own to be the head of his family's entire estate and that he had taken all of the burden upon his little shoulders. This burden included most of all the duty of what they called 'The Queen's Watchdog'. So this position was a hereditary one it seemed. Ciel was unlike any child she had ever seen, but perhaps if she knew what had happened to him in between the incident and the contract she might have better understood him. So many questions ran through her mind as she gaze upon the likeness of this figure before her… so much like his son in appearance, though to be fair there was much of his mother's features in him as well. Just who exactly was Vincent Phantomhive in life?

Reaching her hand forward, she cautiously touched the image of this former master of Phantomhive, careful not to damage it. Would Ciel have ever been as successful a watchdog as him if he did not have Sebastian collared? It seemed the boy would never know. How could he feel so self-sufficient when he had so much to compare himself to? Was it this man's fault that Ciel Phantomhive had come to be the way he was now?

"So what now then, Earl Phantomhive? Is this your fate after such a struggle to remain a top your luxurious pedestal, to lay forgotten in the recesses of your own home to collect dust? You used to be something weren't you? It seems to me that human greatness only ever amounts to nothing. Now if you only you had taken the time to tell that to your son." She dusted and went about her job as she spoke absently to the painting. "Who were you people before you met your demise?" She murmured softly to the stone silent and ever smiling portrait.

Light suddenly spilled down into the room as the basement door was swung open, startling her out of her wonderings. She threw the white sheet back over the frame speedily. "Miss Ivy?" Maylene's voice called down to her, puzzled as to how the other maid could work in the dark like she apparently was doing. Ivy placed a hand to her chest in relief.

"Yes Maylene, and did I not ask you to just call me Ivy…?" she responded.

"Oh…yes sorry Ivy…. are you finished down there?" she asked her. Ivy sighed, looking around.

"Just almost. Why?" The half neko called back.

"I was simply making sure because Mister Sebastian informed me that he preferred you to handle the china in my stead today," she was blushing in embarrassment. There must have been some sort of discord for Sebastian to warrant such a last minute switch. That ass. "So I'm to take over down here while you head up, I am." She finished. Ivy placed her hands on her hips from her place in the darkness and shook her head.

"Of course he does." she muttered under her breath. "I see…well I shall be right there in a second just a moment while a cover up the things I've finished." she said over her shoulder. It would be a bad idea to turn around in this dark room. The combination of darkness and light flowing in would no doubt cause her eyes to glow and the last thing she wanted was to frighten the living daylights out of the maid. They already found her ears rather hard to grow accustomed to anyway. Maylene nodded, looking at the other maid curiously.

"Alright, thank you." She agreed, closing the door once again to wait patiently for Miss Ivy to emerge. Ivy stood in silence for a second or two before letting out a sigh and continuing her work. She decided that she should hurry up now rather than force Maylene to wait for her idly too long. She hated that butler. Still she could not blame him for being tense about the china. She clicked her tongue finishing up. Deep down though she could not help but wonder why there were no portraits of these parents anywhere in the manor. She had seen none. Absolutely none, and that was just one question among many.

….

"How many split seconds late am I today, sensei?" Ivy mock sighed as she entered the kitchen where she had sensed Sebastian, working as usual. His gaze slid to meet hers as he looked over his shoulder curtly. It was always so well lit, and uplifting in the kitchen. What a shame such a theme had to be marred by the presence of such dark entities. To be fair, she never really considered herself very dark aside from a thought process or two. Compared to Sebastian Michaelis however, she was practically made of sunshine, chocolate truffles, and baby giggles.

"I can only assume that your sass has not affected your ability to remember the proper way to arrange a tea set and sweep up shattered porcelain." He remarked dryly. Somebody seemed like a grumpy panda this fine afternoon. Or perhaps he was just in an, 'on-the-job' mode. He did have the habit of obsessing over his duties after all. "… And no, as a matter of fact you actually came quicker than I had expected. Perhaps you were lonely without my company?" There was that smirk. Okay so, not grumpy this time. Her eyes rolled almost automatically and she folded her arms. How depressing.

"My sass is debating on making a witty comeback, or showing you what I really think of your tea set." She retorted, striding purposefully toward the china and getting everything prepared. "What sort of problems could you have possibly been having with Maylene, that you of all people would need my help with something you do not normally require assistance for?" He just huffed in response to the fact that she could have ever even asked such a question.

"You really _haven't_ been at this manor for very long have you?" It appeared that he was in the middle of making lunch. He looked somewhat less ominous without the ridiculous tailcoat that he NEVER seemed to take off. Granted that did not mean much considering it was Sebastian. He still wore his vest and tie, and had rolled up the white sleeves of his crisp, well-ironed shirt. There was an apron tied smartly around his waist, a nice professional clean-cut looking apron that made Ivy feel a bit bitter that hers had to be a lacy abomination that looked like the anti-suffrage monster puked on it, just because she was in fact female.

"Long enough to realize that you're lame." She snipped. "Since when has Maylene's clumsiness translated to you needing my humble assistance?"

"You ask too many questions Miss Ivy. Such a thing may lead to answers of a mildly disturbing nature for you." He smirked over his shoulder at her. "Sometimes excuses must be thought up for the safety of others, I'm not the most patient of creatures in all actuality. Come now, you may consider this an opportunity to refresh your memory of what I've taught you. It is always helpful to turn a bad situation into a beneficial one is it not, little one?"

"I thought I told you to stop c-... urrrrrgh never mind, why do I bother assuming you would care, you-."

"Wrong side." He scolded when she made a mistake. Ivy took a sharp intake of breath, resisting the impulse to flip the tray over and decapitate him with it for interrupting her when she was trying to make a point. "Besides." He continued on his previous train of logic. "The only servant in the house who does not simply add to my distress with their concern is you, therefore I'll have time to calm and still remain on schedule just by having you be the one to resume their duty and fix the mess-"

"In other words, I was called up here both at your convenience and to make you feel better. I am an indirect emotional punching bag."

"Certainly not. You would make a far better pincushion."

"I hope you fall into a blessed puddle of acid and it permanently disfigures you." She growled flatly, stomping into a corner in search of the broom, now that the tea set was ready for the butler to commence pouring.

"I'm wounded." He mock lamented and she waved dismissively at him, snatching the cleaning utensil by its smooth wooden handle.

"Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it." She swept up the porcelain shards in a huff. The delicate fragments tinkled together and scraped ever so slightly against the tiled floor. As he brewed the tea Ivy noted that the portions he was cooking seemed rather large for a twelve-year-old. "Working hard I see. Guests?" If she was going to be running up and down at the leisure of her captors then she had every right to ask prying questions.

"Of sorts." He did not seem to have a problem responding then again she could not exactly call it a full answer. Turning to face her, he smiled a bit wryly. "We have those from time to time you know." Ivy blinked a few times at him with those large inquisitive eyes that -experience had taught Sebastian- meant she was not nearly satisfied with such a vague answer, but then she simply sniffed and feigned disinterest.

"Guests _of sorts_. It seems you have a penchant for unnecessary drama. Are the two of you offing someone for Queen Victoria that I'm not supposed to know about? Or perhaps you are preparing for your annual crazy sadistic underground bastard gathering with your fellow crazy sadistic underground bastard colleagues. Do you lot exchange notes? Give how-to-look-scarier- cosmetic tips? Perform ritual sacrifices?" The little maid was scurrying busily about, now in search of the dustpan. She was so preoccupied with her search that she missed the amused grin on her supervisor's face as he watched her. Bustling and lively, she seemed to radiate color. It was most intriguing.

"I'm afraid ritual sacrifices are not exactly a favorite social topic in this manor, so please refrain from dragging out your little limerick in front of the young master, though it is welcome wit for me." Ivy threw her head back and laughed.

"Ritual sacrifices _never _make favored conversation in society, at least not in England, but I'll say anything if it tickles my fancy enough. Most humans would agree with that logic… though they have limits. Secondly I do not like this term of which you speak… this 'you and I'. I am unfamiliar with this unit and find the concept of us being linked in any way _extremely _disturbing. Please don't speak as if we would ever socialize with one another outside of work." The broken china was dumped into the rubbish with a loud clatter.

He chuckled. "What a rude little viper, why waste such venom on me?"

"I'm no serpent, Mister Michaelis. Which is more than I can say for you, and if you are seriously wondering why I feel the need to snap my fangs at you then I have severely overestimated your intelligence level." Looking around, it seemed that she was done, she dusted off her hands on her apron. "Well, it seems that I've done what you asked of me so I think I-" As she turned to go he was suddenly close beside her, pushing the cart of refreshments in front of her. Everything was suddenly set up perfectly on silver trays. Mint green eyes narrowed at him. "Is there a problem?" There was an extra ounce of threat in her voice.

"You will pour." He rested one hand on either side of her, fingers strumming.

"Excuse me?" Ivy was not exactly thrilled with the idea of serving tea for perfect strangers with a last minute notice. Especially guests _of sorts_. "You serve tea and refreshments during ritualistic killings?"

"Now, now. Enough nonsense. I must entertain in the main hall, the young master needs you. Instructing you came in handy after all it seems." He closed her hands around the handle and reached up to cover her ears artfully with her white cap. Ivy swallowed hard and she tensed up cautiously. "Be quick about it now, and behave yourself." He stood back, suddenly quite curtly and nudged her forward with a hand to the small of her back. She gave a start as if shaken from some sort of paralysis and hurried forward.

"I'm going, I'm going! Damn you're creepy, and did I not already tell you about my personal space?" She rambled irately rolling the cart ahead of her. He watched her go for a moment or two with a smirk before he wiped off the counter and dutifully put on his black tailcoat.

….

"I can see Earl, that you are a man who understands that wealth entitles people like you and I to the finer things in life." Perhaps this man was going somewhere with this rambling. He sipped his tea lazily, watching Ivy. He turned his gaze back to the dark little Earl who had apparently taken note of the attentive action. "All men struggle to make it to our level though very few do, and when such a level is attained they crave more." The dull, flat look in Ciel's expression made it very clear that he was just as interested in this man's life philosophy as Ivy was. "Many who manage to make it that far, get entangled in their ambitions and have to trample or be trampled. As a result, men resort to turning against each other. What a shame that we must meddle so much to get what we want."

"The disappearance of some of her majesty's minor agents has been troubling her. A certain illegal trade was under their investigation over in Beijing after the disappearances of several English maids fitting certain criteria. Your timing is fortunate due to the location of a recent shipment made under your name in the very same area where they were investigating. I simply wondered if you had heard or witnessed anything suspicious during your business venture."

A grown man sizing up a twelve-year-old. 'Bravo pasty blonde creeper man, we are all very impressed.' The neko internally rolled her eyes. Ivy was no idiot; she was fairly certain that Ciel and Sebastian were putting the finishing touches on some side job. As expected nobody particularly paid any attention to her, except for when she refilled their cups wordlessly with down cast eyes. It was at these moments that she could feel this man –she had heard Ciel address him as 'Lord Bennett'- watch her with a certain rapt attentiveness through half-lidded eyes.

Ciel's eye narrowed and he held out his cup for Ivy to fill, making it a point to do so without looking at her. "Is that a 'no'?" The boy murmured with a subtle sardonic tone. Ah, England: home of subliminal bitch fights.

"Am I regarded as a suspect, Earl?" He gave an amused grin with a hint of sharpness to it.

"Lord Bennett. I only asked if you had seen or heard anything amongst your workers or the locals about their disappearance. It is you who are so quick to count yourself a suspect." The grin on the boy's deceptively soft, youthful face looked especially entertained suddenly. The man in question gave a very subtle reaction but it was noticeable, that was all that mattered.

"Just as I thought, the Earl is as shrewd as he is nosy. What do you want?" He leaned forward. Ciel's gaze traveled down and took note of the chain around his neck that fell out from under the safety of a buttoned down shirt, and now dangled from his 'guest's' neck. Ivy noted that it was a ring on the end of the chain that her little employer was eyeing. Before she could form a hypothesis his cane had pinned it to the table, effectively shocking his suspect as he was jerked forward by the action.

"To ease the Queen's worries of course." He murmured. "A fine looking accessory, Lord Bennett." The once cool and collected businessman began to sweat and he protested.

"A family heirloom! What is the meaning- ack!" Trying to sit up, the thin chain around his neck snapped as Ciel tugged in the opposite direction, sliding it noisily across the surface of his polished coffee table. The screech made Ivy wince, Sebastian would go on a tangent once he saw the scratch.

"Family heirloom?" This seemed to amuse the boy greatly. His slender hand grasped the item delicately, holding it up to the dim light of the parlor for better examination. "Well then, Bennett." The man was now even more uneasy than ever when the boy addressed him without the luxury of his title. He reached to the arm of his large chair and lifted a book he had left resting on it. "Perhaps your _family _would be able to tell me what I need to know about this…. -Crest would you say-?" He allowed the book to hang open as he held it in one hand, revealing on the page in question an exact replica of the symbol on the ring. Lord Bennett began to hyperventilate at the sight of the book that the Earl had somehow managed to acquire.

"How could-!"

"Resources are no issue for the Phantomhive house… as the Queen's watchdogs, we have a duty to clean the underworld crime rings by whatever means we deem necessary, unsavory or not. Thus we have acquired many ways of procuring necessary items that even royalty can not access." Ivy could not help but grin ever so slightly at such a small boy behaving so much like a man. "This is no family heirloom it is a mark of an oriental black market ring isn't it? The market that has been using you and other greedy, lecherous Englishmen like you to horde and haul merchandise for them in the form of British work-house girls, orphans, and prostitutes –girls nobody would miss- until you who grew careless and greedy, idiotically opted to abduct several respectable maids, all with black hair and light eyes."

Ivy seized upon the statement and knew why she was there. Those two were something. "Thus word went around and her majesty deemed it a problem –though a minor one- and had a few less prominent but quite thorough agents look into it. As a member of court you were aware of this development. The net was closing in and because you were in charge of a shipment they predicted would be taking place in Beijing…"

He dropped a series of envelopes onto the coffee table. "You lured them into a trap under the pretense of aiding their investigation during your 'silk' venture. What a pointless, dull, yarn. All of your cohorts have been identified through thorough investigation and are now being cornered and disposed of as we speak, and so it now comes to an end." The grown man seemed astounded but his eyes soon became hard again and he laughed.

"You are a remarkable boy just as the rumors say." There was a moment of tense silence as the two aristocrats stared each other down. Ivy turned to put down the still steaming teapot in her hands. Then in one swift motion he reached into his jacket and a dark flash announced the appearance of a handgun. Ciel had simultaneously done the same.

'_He doesn't need my help.' _Ivy reminded herself, though she was quick to prepare herself just in case, hovering behind the gentleman's chair soundlessly, like a curious shadow. Ciel smirked.

"How like a cornered rat to hiss and bare his fangs uselessly." Now Bennett scoffed but the smug little Earl paid no attention. "How do you plan on leaving this manor alive if you shoot me? I am curious."

"I would never accept an invitation without knowing the layout of the playing field. Your servants are all legal ghosts with no civilian records besides the foreign ex-solider working in your kitchen –deserter I ascertain-, and the old Phantomhive retainer, one Tanaka by name. There were only four aside from your famed butler, Sebastian Michealis… the pretty young thing you have pouring must be a new parlor accessory. Six servants for such a large manor? By all accounts the only explanation would be that they are more than what they seem, lethal weapons for the protection of their master." Now Ciel looked impressed, but not threatened. "I have brought in… 'specialists' of my own in preparation. In short all of your servants have been identified and are now being cornered and disposed of as we speak. I'll be taking my leave unscathed." Ivy really wanted to laugh but refrained. Clueless imbecile.

"Truly you have impressive connections and highly skilled eyes and ears. As expected from a man of the court, but your reasoning is below par." Ciel's expression darkened into something strangely sinister. Ivy couldn't agree more. A parlor accessory, how stupid. "Put the gun away Bennett... while Scotland Yard is still an option for you." Ivy made subtle eye contact with the boy and he shook his head no under the radar, she nodded obediently.

"You talk big, all I need to do is stall just long enough to get out of this room. My men will come."

"Will that be within the next fifteen seconds?" There was a pause at the child's bizarre question.

"What?"

"You are running out of time, Bennett." At these words Ivy felt the already quivering presence of the corrupt aristocrat plummet in a sickeningly panicked sort of way.

"Don't you try to get around me with intimidation. You are just a child." The neko's keen eyes caught sight of his trembling hand gripping the revolver.

"Three."

"STOP!"

"Two…"

"Apologies for the wait. Our guests have been quite lively." In strode the ever-dutiful butler Sebastian Michaelis. He noted the scenario as casually as if noting the weather. "Oh dear. I suppose I should return what remains of your accomplices then… Bennett." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he ignored the desperate man's empty threats and pulled out a small string tied bag. Opening it, he spilled the contents neatly onto the coffee table. Identical rings clinked and jingled as they clattered and rolled along the surface.

Bennett's brown eyes widened in horror at the situation that he now finally understood. "…_How?" _His head shook in disbelief.

"I'm afraid you've forfeited the opportunity I offered." Ciel uttered absently. In his final attempt to grasp at straws he turned his gun barrel onto Ivy and moved behind her. Ah, finally to be acknowledged.

"I'm getting out of this manor! Or-" Ivy couldn't help it, she bubbled forth with a swell of musical giggles that disturbed the armed man in the situation they were applied to. Boy and butler smirked in unison, equally amused.

"Please put him out of his misery, hasn't he embarrassed himself enough?" She sighed with a smile.

"Put that away before something bad happens to you. I should tell you I don't like being touched." She murmured over her shoulder, her eyes glowing wickedly. He fell over and scrambled away hyperventilating. She ignored him and looked at Ciel. "Next time tell me these things. If I'm to be a tool to identify serial kidnappers I'd like to be aware." The half-breed stood over the sniveling man curiously, tilting her head.

Sebastian stepped on the offender's wrist, cracking bone and making him let go of his weapon with a muffled cry. "As a respectable butler I can not allow you to brandish weapons against Phantomhive merchandise." He drawled lazily. Ivy rolled her eyes.

"Well bully gee wow. Thank you so much for the sentiment." She huffed sarcastically and folded her arms. Her label was unappreciated.

"You took the fact that we used you quite well." He smiled up at her in that saccharine way of his

"Yeah, yeah. Stop ignoring the guest."

"Ah, how rude of me." They both looked down at him with glowing eyes as Ciel stood to stand authoritatively between them with his arms crossed. His single eye looking down his nose at the sniveling man.

"What will you do, young master?" Ivy asked softly, with a morbidly sweet, genuine tone.

"Another worthless case ended. Checkmate."

….

"You both ought to be boiled in tar." Ivy stated after the day's skirmish.

"It was a convenient last piece to the puzzle, to watch how he reacted to a maid that happened to fit the basic criteria of the missing girls, further narrowing the variables. Besides it was obvious that you would be in no real danger." The demon butler drawled as the two of them washed dishes.

"Merchandise can't hear excuses, shut up."

He chuckled. "What would you have preferred me to refer to you as?"

"Something other than a suitable term for inanimate claimable property. I fit under no such categories. Why are you bothering me? Did Ciel tell you –my handler- to keep an eye on me after I threw that minor hissy fit for being left out?"

"After allowing a lady to go through an inconvenience I assumed it was simple protocol to make your last chores for today slightly easier."

Ivy began to cackle madly. Then all went silent. "Are you serious?"

"Is that difficult to imagine? If you felt slighted enough you may decide to flee and then where would my young master be?"

"So it all really does boil down to your own selfishness in the end." She sweat-dropped, a vein popping out on her forehead in her irritation.

"I fail to understand what the problem is. Unless a half-breed can be killed by a bullet." He tilted his head curiously, ignoring her statement. "…Can you?"

"Ooooh! You really _are _worthy of your title as a devil. Twisting every scenario to your advantage so fluidly! I'll never give you any information that would give you an unnecessary advantage over me, you don't need one. Sod off."

"Seventeen thousand."

"…What?"

"That is when I lost exact track of my age. I can naught but estimate now." He remarked. Ivy blinked. He lost count? _Him? _"Agelessness is a wearing toll, little one." The demon added as if noticing her surprise at the prospect, a hint of something unshakably _hungry_ in his visage.

"Why would you tell this to me?"

"Offering information may even out my asking for it."

"Information on how to kill me hardly amounts to information on your age. It is still entirely one-sided." She responded hotly.

"I know."

"Then what do you expect to gain by telling me this?" She nearly shouted, exasperated by this ridiculous intellectual run-around.

"I would settle for your whole name. A proper introduction." Silence. Ivy was lost, why would he want to learn _her_ name? Demons did not talk about this sort of thing. "Is that exchange balanced enough?" He remarked wryly. Ivy awkwardly shifted.

"I suppose I can't argue with that logic."

"Then you'll tell me." It was a statement not a question. Ivy huffed and folded her arms, looking him up and down skeptically. Finally, she curtly held her head high and curtsied.

"Alright, it is only fair I suppose. Ivy Ashcroft of the neko clans at your service, noble one." It was a mocking sort of tone but all great high-level demons were addressed as such. It had been a long time since he had been called such a thing, his mouth twitched. "Not that you will bother to remember after this is over. Are you satisfied?"

"It will have to do…for now." She just shrugged in response, a small smile emerging.

"Then it's a shame that it is all you will ever get." Her singsong tone reeked of confidence.

"We will see, Miss Ivy Ashcroft of the neko clans."

"Indeed we will, grandpa." The demon grinned at her quick wit.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long I struggled a lot with it and am now suddenly worried about keeping people in character again. Ugh. Its super long compared to the others so I hope it makes you guys happy. I think that since Ivy is half demon she would have a bit of an eerie side to her. I can't remember what else I had to say so if you have any questions feel free to P.M. me folks. Ciao! Hope you enjoyed it!


	9. That Maid, Stagnant

Author's Note: Please chill out about the name thing ppl, there is a reason for that so bear with me. Besides, her name was never meant to be an important element in the story or plot anyway, and to make too much of a deal with it would have taken up too much chapter and plot space for my taste. But hey that's life lol. (Oh and on a side note that has nothing to do with anything I'm talking about right now: My mother is really pissing me off right now! Oh well, such is life -_-) Anyway, about that latest manga chapters for the month… Ciel Phantomhive: The Suck Up… I love it! X'D! I could NOT wait to watch the suck up in complete action but the next chapter was not as amusing as I had imagined, ah well it was still fun to read though. I swear when Prince Soma came into the school on that elephant in the latest update, the 'Prince Ali' theme from Aladdin soooo came to my mind. This ought to be so much fun. Okay so here is the revised ninth chapter of Kitten is Angry. Hope you guys enjoy it! 3 Not much to declare now other than the fact that I had hoped to finish this one and post it much faster than I did for the last chapter... what an utter fail that turned out to be huh? Oh and I hope beyond hope that I don't make it too short for my tastes either damn it. Ugh. Anyway Ciao!

Disclaimer: I own nothing folks. For what really feels like the infinite time I have said it. What can one expect when playing with material that does not belong to them. Take all these legal papers of yours and- and... put them…. Er… in a very uncomfortable place on your person! Come on folks! I don't mean any harm, after all I'm just having a _hell _of a good time. ;D *nudge nudge* Eh? Eeh?... No? Oh fine just read the damn chapter. *Muttering to myself as I walk away to sulk in a corner*

**Chapter Nine: That Maid, Stagnant**

_"I like a man who grins when he fights." _–Winston Churchill

"_Stop it! Get away from me!"_

_His hands were everywhere, snatching at the soft ruffles of her dress, making the cornered little girl terrified and sick all at once. His malicious, mocking laughter ringing all around her._

"_Stop touching me!" she screams, swiping at his arms. He only scoffs again and easily rebuffs her struggles._

"_Where's your mommy now, Ivy? Where is she?" he crooned. He was so much bigger than her. She couldn't get him away. "Feel free to scream. Nobody cares about what happens to little halflings here anyway." Hot trails of tears on her little cheeks as she struggled not to look at the much bigger boy putting his hands on her. This was too much. She couldn't take it. No more._

"_I…told…you! Stop…Touching ME!" She swung her claws._

Ivy shot up in her bed covered in a cold sweat, looking around swiftly at her surroundings in alarm. For a second in its smallest measurement she did not recognize her surroundings. What...? Oh that was right. She was living here now. Looking down she noted how her hands still shook. She hadn't had that horrid dream in years. Using both hands, she covered her face for a moment before wiping the sweat and left over tears from her brow and face. Her breathing was slightly labored and shaky now. The half-neko girl swallowed hard and shook her head to clear the images out of her mind. Something was telling her that her past was coming to haunt her sooner than she would have liked. She needed to focus on something else lest her fear consume her.

Green eyes slid to look at the clock hanging innocently on her plain wall. It was time to wake up. Good. There was no way she would be getting back to sleep now anyway. A soft breath escaped from her lips. So now her day begins.

…..

"All day? Really?" How puzzling.

"That's right. They both left the manor to us for the day." Bard replied as Ivy confirmed it for the third time. It seemed almost too good to be true. An entire day without worrying about that stiff board hell monkey pestering her? There had to be some kind of catch. She smiled and yet... could not help but feel like this was not going to be a fun day. Still the lack of a certain butler's presence over rode any apprehension she had. "I think they were given another job to look into by the Queen, maybe?" He shrugged. Ivy frowned. Well it would make sense that they were so busy all the time, considering that Ciel had two whole 'enterprises' to juggle. Well that was certainly insight on her pint-sized Cyclops employer. Still this information gave her pause anyway, she had been here for a handful of days and she had never once seen him deal with any candy/toy business shenanigans. It was a lot for one child, granted he was quite possibly the only child in England that had a demon contract but it still seemed like too much. How many cases could the old monarch be making the boy juggle all at once? It seemed so unlikely that they should be getting a new one when they were currently unfinished with another... and a rather big one at that.

She did not know much about demon contracts. How did Ciel summon Mister Michaelis in the first place? Her mother only ever told her to avoid such things and that the fire djinn… -the demons of hell- were far superior predators to them. She was to learn more about it when she was old enough. However she remembered one specific thing her mother had made it a point to tell her straight away.

"_Never let them taste it." _

She had never been quite sure what exactly she meant by that. Taste what exactly? She had been very young at the time and her mother had told her that she would know what she meant when the moment was at hand.

"Are… you okay?" Bard asked with concern at her sudden long silence. From all that he could see she had randomly spaced out. Ivy snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of the other servant's voice. She blinked and shook her head.

"Oh! Oh yes. I'm sorry." she perked brightly, pushing her hair away from her face. She hadn't bothered with her normal bun that morning naturally, due to her distracted and gloomy dream induced mood. He raised an eyebrow skeptically at her response but said nothing. "I am just a bit distracted today I suppose. I guess I should get to work then." she waved it off and hurried off with a bounce to her step and a smile on her face. Ha! No Sebastian today! "Maylene!" she called out cheerfully. Whatever the case was with the Earl, it was probably none of her business. Even if she desperately wanted her 'employment' here to be over with as soon as possible. Well, at least she could relax for now.

….

Meanwhile, a certain troop of neko demons on the hunt, had gone through much futile attempts at retrieving their target's trail and were now completely stumped once again much to their growing chagrin. It was as though their target had been swept off of their course by some unknown force and popped into thin air. A pair of green eyes watched the horizon in focused meditation of the scenario. "It can't be helped it seems." His voice broke the thickening silence. "I am going to have to send for another specialist."

"If you mean to call on another creature from your family name, I will have to question your motives in agreeing to this search." The young Lord was an astute creature who seized upon any hint of foul play with an instant address of the issue and certain paranoia. Too many untrustworthy pieces brought to the board was not a risk he was willing to make. Two rival families from the same demon clan could never work together in a mingled environment for very long. The tracker simply scoffed however at the sharpness in his leader's tone.

"I am well aware that the only reason I was not assigned to lead for this task in the first place was the very surname of which you indirectly speak. Do you think me a fool? If I wished to double-cross you I would not nearly be so obvious by calling the assistance of another who would likely be just as mistrusted as I by the hunting party." The reasoning was perfectly flawless however it also gave nothing away and so the young leader simply continued to glare at him in suspicion, that was not an answer. Another roll of green eyes and his subordinate continued. "He is not of my family. He is a different creature from us entirely."

"Not a neko then, you say?"

"No. Not even a demon actually." He shook his head casually and smirked at the sudden peak of the other youth's attention.

"Human?"

"No, sir! Certainly not." He laughed at the ridiculous notion. Golden eyes, which had softened for the quickest of moments, now narrowed once again.

"To say the very least, it is not common practice for those born of the four families -born of our clan- to fraternize too familiarly with those of a different kind, especially in regard to our intimate matters." He stood and paced around the elder of the two, like a tomcat sizing up a rival. "Am I to assume that you have been disregarding long standing traditions that were made to ensure our safety –quite successfully might I add- in order to further your own credibility on a hunt?" The tone of such a statement was unreadable but did not cause any falter on the part of the older youth. He just shrugged.

"We should all know our limitations and it seems that our trail just up and vanished, even for me. The kind of being I refer to has a more heightened sense for these sort of situations. To consult him can do no harm to us. He is far from capable of being a threat to our much stronger kind, and he owes me too much after the history he and I share, you will soon see. Oh and more importantly, due to his lack of involvement in our clan 'politics'… he is a neutral party unlikely to hold any preference towards either of the four titles. To answer your question plainly however, 'young lord' –all rationalization aside-… yes, yes I have." The lengthy response came so casually, so mechanical that one would have sworn that the young neko had rehearsed it. It was a very intriguing thing to watch these two still young immortals interact with one another. A certain touch of history between them could have been made out from this singular and silent staring contest. Green eyes clashed with gold wordlessly for what seemed like an eternity, before the latter gaze began to dance with amusement.

"I like that. Forward thinking with beneficence for our clan kept in mind. We must prioritize what counts. I'm willing to listen in that case, but do not mistake me for one to like or trust you and your wretched name."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah feud between families and all that tripe." The head tracker paid it no mind as he was quite pleased to be getting his way… for now anyway. He took the liberty to continue speaking.

"So anyway, excellent judgment. It has been a while, however I think I can summon him easily enough." The Ashcroft tracker smirked wickedly.

"Tell me this however. What makes you so certain that this... association of yours will not double cross us with the promise of a better offer?" At this the suspicion young leader raised folded his arms, awaiting an answer from the silver tongued Ashcroft. At this green eyes simply glowed with self confidence and secretive satisfaction. He flipped a lock of straight dark hair with a scoff.

"It is like I said before. Let us just say that he owes me a favor for deeds done long ago."

"Tell me then, Ashcroft... What is he?"

….

"Maylene stop right there!" Ivy let out a shout of alarm. There was no way she would wash the entire wooden banister all over again. "That is shoe polish!" Oh dear she had been going crazy all afternoon. Her nerves were completely shot. The poor neko maid now found herself caught between her own duties, and keeping the servants from messing up on _their_ own duties, and even cleaning up messes with them when they did. Maylene looked relieved and embarrassed all at once. Honestly Ivy felt badly for them but how many times were they going to repeat the same mistakes over and over again?

"That was close." Maylene commented as she handed the bottle to Ivy who handed the actual polish wax to her.

Ivy nodded in agreement. "I will just put this back and return in a quick minute." she stated. Honestly it was frightening leaving any of them alone for too long. Also, the other two were far too quiet. She really just wanted to check up on them as quickly as possible for her and then return.

One other regretful reason for missing a certain butler's presence apparently was that eating breakfast al a Bard was a terrible experience, after which she took advantage of her cuteness to ask him if she could try making lunch for everyone herself. Of course it was both wise and imperative to use his title as 'head chef' with this question. She did not want to make him feel demeaned or it would not work, he was more sensitive in this area than she had at first assumed. Honestly she now realized just how much trouble Sebastian went through keeping things in the manor running every day. No wonder he had a rod up his arse all the time.

As she hastily put away the bottle of shoe polish there was the sound of yet another explosion. She had taken too long. After a long frozen silence, the half-ling placed her hands on her face and let out a groan. Dropping her arms stiffly to her sides and willing away tears of frustration, she stalked down the hall toward the kitchen. This was really starting to seem like it was not worth having Sebastian no where around if it meant she had to deal with all of this _and_ her own jobs. When had she suddenly become mother hen here? No fair! Her patience was wearing out and she would be damned before snapping at them like a Sebastian number two.

She could do this. She _could _do this. Right? Right. As if on cue Finnian then came running down the hall toward her with tears in his eyes, like a moving, breathing fountain. Oh no. "Miss Ivy…!" he cried before blubbering fairly incoherently into her apron something about the garden and 'pesticides' and 'trees', etc, etc. Damn it. No she could not do this. If the two main names in this manor did not get back home soon Ivy feared that she would lose her mind. As she stared blankly down at the top of his strawberry blond head, listening and trying to make out what he was saying as he hugged her legs, she soon began to cry along with him in her own misery.

It seemed that she was probably not going to have time to take Liam up on his offer today. It had seemed like a good idea to relieve her nerves before, and the boy and his butler's outing had seemed so delightfully opportune for her to manage it. Now it simply looked like a lost cause… even if Sebastian and Ciel were not around.

"Finnian, please stop that." She groaned mournfully. This was the longest day she had ever had and that was saying a lot with the dreadful luck she knew herself to have.

…..

"Just as I thought, today was yet another most useless venture." Ciel muttered unhappily as Sebastian opened the door to the carriage, offering a hand to help the boy down. "To think we risked leaving the manor alone for so long. I wonder what sort of calamity the servants have gotten into this time." They arrived at the manor by nightfall. It was sooner than they had anticipated but saving time was never something to complain about. Especially for Sebastian. Taking a look at the manor and expecting the worse as usual, they both froze.

The little Earl and his butler were both quite puzzled yet exceedingly relieved that it seemed that nothing major had happened while they were away at all. Since the two of them honestly had planned on being there the next morning, they had braced themselves to encounter at least one nasty mess when they returned. It seemed as though things were done smoothly today however. As surprised as Ciel was however, he made no comment or reaction on the subject aside from the exchanged glance that the two of them shared. It was late after all, there was no time to ask questions. As the demon butler would have said… it was time for little Earls to be safely tucked in bed. He was rather sleepy anyway. Therefore after Tanaka answered the door for them, the little earl headed straight for his room without a thought to bother himself with.

Still though, after the young boy was out like a light, his butler was not at all satisfied. He frowned as he closed the door of the master bedroom behind himself. It did not sit right that absolutely nothing had happened while he was away, the lack of apparent problems was making him uneasy. Something must have gone wrong that he had not yet seen. So he made a point to look at the state of everything in the house before allowing himself to relax for now. He carried the brass candelabra in his hand as he looked out in the garden. Nothing there. The dining hall. All was well in there as well. He continued to search. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary or out of place at all. The subtle sound of shuffling footsteps caught his attention and he turned his gaze in their direction.

"Tanaka." he spoke up upon catching sight of the old man heading for the servants quarters. Said old gentleman looked at the butler in acknowledgment, not at all startled by the sudden address. "I trust all went well today by the look of things, do you mind informing me as to how smoothly everything went?" he inquired. The old servant inflated into a normal sized man as was his habit of doing whenever he felt that he was imparting information that pertained to his duty as a loyal old servant. He did very little else around the estate after all.

"Yes. Everything in the manor was well taken care of. Miss Ivy replaced the shrubbery and had Finnian replant the trees in their best aesthetic positions. Maylene, Bard, and her also cleaned up the kitchen from the unfortunate incident with the dynamite, and she prepared the meals for the servants with Bard's assistance." The jolly old man informed the head butler of this with a fond sort of amusement. Ah of course. She was the only factor that had changed in the manor as of recent. Sebastian understood the situation better now. He might have known. Still, it had seemed rather far-fetched that she could spread herself so thin. She was more capable than she let on it appeared.

"I see…" he stroked his chin. "…and… where is she now then? Asleep I suppose?" he inquired.

"She sent the servants to bed earlier saying that she would take care of the dishes herself so she should indeed be in bed by now, however I don't recall seeing her leave the kitchen at all now that I think of it." Tanaka answered in puzzlement, and very suddenly deflated into the usual chibi version of himself once again. "Ho. Ho. Ho." He gave his customary laugh, before bidding the butler goodnight in his own unique manner and leaving on his merry way.

"Hmm. Thank you." Sebastian paid the routine occurrence little mind and pondered to himself. Tanaka vanished down the hall toward his room. Now what could she be tarrying in the kitchen for? He stroked his chin again with curiosity. He supposed that he would just have to see for himself. That is if she had not already gone off to bed by this time. He walked down the hall toward the kitchen in his usual smooth, and fluid manner. When he pushed the door open he could detect no movement. However his keen eye easily caught sight of the limp mass of skirts and exposed stockings resting on the counter. Raising an eyebrow he entered and made his way over soundlessly.

"My, my." he could not help the slightest of grins on his face. She was dead asleep on the counter with a single dish that had not yet been dried, her even breaths rising and falling rhythmically. Some of her hair -unknowingly to her- was soaking in the water and suds. A single leg hung limply off of the counter's edge, exposing the skin of her thigh among the many ruffles of petticoats. Her tail could be seen twitching ever so slightly as well. Honestly, she must have been sleeping for quite a while by now to be as she was when he found her. Such an awkward angle could not be good for ones bone structure. Sebastian could not help but chuckle at the sight she made. Well then, it would not do to leave her there.

The butler placed an arm under her shoulders with soundless care, leaning her against his chest while he toweled off the wet tresses of her hair. She must really have been dead to not be awake by now. Only a mumble that sounded a lot like a weary groan escaped her lips in response to being moved. Putting the neat pile of dishes aside he placed his other arm under her knees carrying her little frame bridal style quite easily. Her eyes were shut but he could tell they were moving under her eyelids, her lips moved ever so slightly now and then. Dreaming it seemed.

Her appearance was the only evidence of just what really happened while he and the young master had been out. Even asleep her muscles were still tense and twitching with the anxiety of the day. Her face showed clear signs of exhaustion. Her hair was not neatly pulled up today, and she still had some smudges of dirt on her shoes and even the bottoms of her petticoats. Miss Ivy certainly did have quite a day today, yes. He exited the kitchen carrying the light bundle with little effort. Like carrying a bird. Nobody could guess that she was capable of smashing through an oak tree with just her fist by looking at her. It was quite ironic.

She suddenly made a soft panicked sound and fisted his jacket lapel, making him pause briefly to raise an impassive eyebrow at her sleeping form. Yes, she was still sleeping. If she had been suddenly awake the entire would manner would have been promptly aroused by her indignant and terrified shriek. Her face relaxed as if puzzled momentarily before she put herself at ease, going limp once again as her hand slid back down the rest on her chest childishly. One could only imagine what went on in her head when she was sleeping. He shook his head and continued on.

Once inside her room he laid her on the bed and she curled into a ball right away, curling her tail about herself and purring dreamily. He regarded her for a moment tapping his chin. It would be best that he remove her shoes so the sheets would not be dirtied and leave her as she was. He uncurled the little ball she had pulled into and rolled her onto her back to get to her shoes better, making quick work of them. Just as he removed the second shoe she let out a sudden gasp and arched her back. For just a second he thought that she had actually come to and stopped to look up at her. Until she tossed her head to the side slightly with a blush on her face. Her small fists were gripping the bed sheets on either side of her. Well now. How interesting. He smirked.

"…_D-..ont do that… it... tickles…" _She rasped softly. It was the only coherent thing to be made out but the context clues had been clear enough. He held back a snicker, standing up. And here she had been, making herself seem so prudish while having these kind of dreams. Well it certainly seemed that he had found some new ammunition for his own amusement. The demon butler made his exit from the room with an unconcealed grin.

…..

The next morning Ivy found new strength to deal with a certain demon's presence by imagining what she would have to do if he were not there. Oh there was no pity for him make no mistake. In fact she wished that he had to do all of his work and be a human at the same time. That would teach him. However, it was comforting to know that she would not have to do any of it as long as he was still around. He had freaked her out considerably early that morning. His face when he looked at her held an amused 'I know something you don't know' gleam that did not make her feel good inside. Not in the slightest. She had settled for ignoring him and he seemed fine with it. Still something told her she was about to be very, _very _upset, very, _very _soon.

Once again though, being left alone with the servants had been a dreadful experience and Tanaka had not been any help at all. He had simply watched each scenario go down with the utmost indifference and fond amusement. Lovely, and here she had assumed him to be such a sweet and sympathetic old grandfather type at first sight. She had been severely mistaken obviously. Secretly mean old fart. Thus she had suffered while the Walrus and the Carpenter went for a stroll on the beach of freedom, victimizing any simple minded oysters that happened to be in their wake. Lucky bastards, she wondered momentarily what _sort_ of simple minded and or dangerous oysters they had been out to victimize this time.

This thought then gave her pause to think. Where _could _they have gone? Bard had assumed it was Watchdog work. Perhaps it was not a new case. Could it have been perhaps another side case they needed to finish up? It was probable but not a very likely explanation. Even Ciel Phantomhive had to know better than to pile on one new investigation in the middle of two others, but if he had another side case... how on earth did he finish it within a single day? Information and names could get all crossed under the wrong investigations. How embarrassing would that be? Sebastian only did as duty and direct orders bid him do. She learned that he called it his... 'aesthetics'. So there would be room to make mistakes for a tired busy child. The next possibility however, upset her greatly. Normally she would have thought nothing of it but… her instinct had been suddenly and alarmingly peaked this time. A frown over took her features. Had they possibly found a lead in regard to the case of her clan and left her out of the loop, directly contradicting their agreement? Perhaps she could ask around later, or no... even better figure it out through some snooping of her own.

"Hey Ivy! Quit spacing out already!" She was momentarily distracted from her train of thought by Bard's indignant shouting voice. Apparently she had been unknowingly spilling water from the dish tub onto him, in her absent state, while he was trying to rifle through the icebox below her. Apologizing quickly she still was unable to keep a small giggle down. He glared up at her. "Geez, wash them somewhere else will you! There's plenty of room in here!" He protested motioning to the spacious kitchen. He was right. It would probably be for the best if she paid attention to the tasks at hand. She had only wanted to sate her curiosity. For now however, this thought process could wait, she had no reason to feel that she was in trouble just yet.

….

Sebastian was looking for the little black kitten again. It seemed that she was nowhere to be found. He frowned and stroked his chin with concern. Strange. She was usually in the same place at this time of day waiting to be fed. Yet she was suddenly gone? Where else could she have gone? How dreadful it would be if something had happened to her on her way over. He was just about to go back inside when he picked up on the sound of purring. Following it to a spot where a particular grove of trees were planted, he looked up.

On a thick lower branch, Miss Ivy was lying on her back cuddling a familiar little black ball of fur. He smirked. They were both purring animatedly and delightedly. If she disliked being teased so much she should have been more careful about what she did when she believed nobody was watching her. It was quite adorable. She seemed to be talking to the little cat as well. Oh yes. She seemed like she was talking to her as if in a normal conversation, as if really genuinely communicating. Hmm. Either she was stranger than he thought, or she had the ability to actually communicate with cats, how extraordinary. She giggled and answered back to unheard words, as if to confirm the thought. He decided to get her attention by clearing his throat.

Her head and ears both snapped in his direction immediately, the purring ceasing on her part, and her smile dropping instantly upon the sight of him. There was a moment of silence as if deliberating how she should respond to the unexpected interruption, looking back at her small fuzzy companion. Finally she huffed in resignation and frowned at him. "I do not understand why this little kitten likes you so very much." she looked back to the small animal. "She is quite sweet, what could she possibly like about you? The food perhaps." The neko girl stroked the kitten's fur gently. Picking the cat up, she stuck her tongue out at him and hugged her possessively to her chest. Sebastian just chuckled.

"Miss Ivy, should you not be off working?" He inquired, all nonchalance and ease in his manner. She just huffed in response.

"Actually I did what I had to do for today, and after all that I went through yesterday I decided that I deserved a small break so stick that in your bubbly champagne and savor it well." she stated quite simply, sticking out her tongue.

"Ah yes. How could I have forgotten? You were quite a heavy sleeper last night, possibly due to having such a trying day… tell me did you sleep well?" he inquired with a knowing grin. She narrowed her eyes.

"Well… I was much more revived the next morning… I suppose." she said warily. Where on earth was he going with this?

"Pleasant dreams?" he asked. She frowned for a moment before suddenly feeling something akin to the sensation of ice developing in her gut. She hid it instinctively and straightened her poster, eyeing him with calm composure.

"Are you trying to tell me something that I'm unaware of?" she sat up now, eyeing him curtly as her legs swung gracefully back and forth from where they hung on the branch. There was no way she would allow him to make her feel so tense all the time, never mind giving him the pleasure of seeing it in her reactions. He just gave a simple shrug and tilted his head up at her with a smile. He was being difficult and it made her sigh exhaustedly. "Please have the decency to at least be forthcoming about whatever it is you are implying, Mister Michaelis. I can have no idea what you speak of if you do not tell me plainly." She demanded, glaring down her nose at him.

"You talk in your sleep you know." he informed nonchalantly. "I do believe you even said that you are ticklish… in your own way."

She turned beet red. Damn it. How did he even…? He hadn't watched her sleeping had he? Ew! No most likely not. He did not seem to be _that _creepy. If he creeped on anybody it would probably be his next meal. Then again come to think of it she could not recall going to bed on her own at all. Waking up in her bed had certainly been a puzzling incident that morning, she had only ever remembered kitchen duty. It dawned on her. Oh! So it must have been him that got her up there… okay and then she had… oh lord. Talking in her sleep he had said? What exactly had she done in that amount of time that made him so smug now? More importantly, what exactly had she _said _in such a vulnerable state? It was a frightening thought considering that… stupid dream remembered that she'd had that night.

"Mister Michaelis…" The neko trailed off now. She was not sure exactly how to respond without giving him another silent victory. "… Am I to assume that you-"

"Tucked you in?" he offered with a smirk.

"Tsk!" She rolled her eyes, completely exasperated. How she hated his baiting.

The little kitten then abruptly hopped off of her lap with a light 'mew' and very carefully climbed down the tree trunk to hop onto Sebastian's shoulder, who accepted her company happily as he picked her up and nuzzled her to his cheek. "Traitor." Ivy muttered down at the small creature. She took her cue and hopped off of the tree, landing on her feet in front of the unfazed butler. "Enough dancing around the issue. What exactly are you getting at? You said I spoke in my sleep… what did I say?" she asked folding her arms, concealing her worry very well. She turned red adding in as an after thought. "Well besides the 'ticklish' thing of course." He just placed a fist under his chin as if in thought.

"Nothing detailed." he smirked at her, still playing with the little kitten. She blinked up at him. Dear God. _'Please tell me he's just messing with me.' _she begged mentally. He could easily see the clear humiliation finally writing itself into her eyes. "Although I must say... I did not expect you to have such a side at all." he chuckled. Her eyes popped. Oh bugger. She was never going to live this down.

"Oh no." she openly groaned, holding her head. "Please don't start. I will do anything if you will leave this alone." she clasped her hands up in appeal at him. He smirked.

"Is that so?" he inquired.

Crap. "No! I take that back!" She held up her hand sharply. Hell no. As if she would ever trust him with that kind of power. She was many things but stupid was not one of them luckily. He just shrugged slightly and continued cuddling the ball of fur in his arms as if it were of no true consequence to him either way. She blinked at him for a moment or two after observing the spectacle and taking note of something very disturbing. "Are you…. _blushing?" _Ivy felt her skin crawl at the new discovery. Oh. God. _EW! _He _was _blushing! "Put that poor little animal down you sick, sick bastard." her upper lip curled. After being touched like that she could only feel pity for any other poor creature that had to experience it themselves… then again what could the poor little cat possibly know?

"You may not enjoy being pet, Miss Ivy, but you can not speak for others as you can plainly see." he said simply with a content smile. She rolled her eyes once again.

"You are lucky she likes you, or I would have shattered your shins for watching me sleep before. You-you… creepy old… dinosaur…. bastard... creeper man." She stated simply for lack of her usually much better wit. "Do you not have work to do yourself?" she snapped after suffering mentally over her own slowness for a moment or two, and impatiently began tapping her foot. He did not seem to respond very attentively to this, due to the little feline under his chin.

"I must thank you for taking such good care of the manor in the absence of the young master and I." he stated. She just muttered to herself for a moment.

"You are welcome, and by the way thank you so much for giving me such a fair warning about that." she said sarcastically. "That was possibly the most nightmarish work experience I've ever had. No wonder it even gives a demon like you a run for his money!" she ranted. "I barely survived! But! I did not yell at anybody so HA! I'm better than you are in that aspect if nothing else." He half expected her to do a happy dance to go with such an immature statement, but instead, she stuck out her tongue at him again. Was that perhaps an engrained habit of hers, or was that gesture mostly singular to him? How very amusing.

"Ah, but you admit that you wanted to didn't you?" he responded.

"I did not though."

"That is irrelevant."

"Says who?"

"Nobody, however by admitting to that, logic dictates that I do have reason to yell. Do you not agree?"

"Bloody pest."

"So I've been often told recently."

"I'm leaving."

"Good afternoon then."

"Die."

With that she stormed off. "And I am still better than you!" she called over her shoulder stubbornly. He snickered. She was really too adorable for her own good.

….

A long day and Ivy had moved around like the wind doing what she had to do. Never did she allow herself to stay in one place for very long in this manor. Plus she was getting better and better at concealing herself when she did not want to be addressed. Practice makes perfect of course. Her mind was diverted to Mr. Tanaka who was sipping tea in the background as usual. Silently observing him, she addressed her fellow maid who had been walking beside her chatting animatedly. "Maylene… what exactly does Mr. Tanaka do around here?" she asked curiously after the two maids had past him by, and walked down the halls. It was not as though she deemed him useless, or that she was bitter over his obviously copious amounts of free time, but it was strange to see that he was never quite given any special assignments as they were. Certainly in a dangerous place like this he had to have his own special skill like the others. The bespectacled girl blinked momentarily.

"Tanaka? He has been a servant for the Phantomhive family for generations." The maroon haired girl explained. "He has a perfect record of knowledge about the family heads going way back-"

"Perfect?" Ivy's attention was now diverted all the more. He could have answers for her, depending on the sort of information he was privy to. Her mother always taught her that the wisest course of action when one had no choice but to lay low was to study one's opponents. It was a definite possibility that she could learn a thing or two if she could only interest him enough to leave that chibified form of his for just long enough. Maylene blinked at her for a moment but the neko was certain to pay it no mind, and sure enough she did not.

"How perfect?" She tilted her head, the perfect picture of innocent curiosity. She did not know just how secretive Ciel was with his cases but it never hurt to look in every available place. His most recent excursion with his butler immediately came to her mind. How opportune. If Mr. Tanaka indeed had a very keen and detailed knowledge indeed, then she could ask him all sorts of questions… but right now she just had one specific topic in mind.

"I'm not exactly certain really… we have only been here for a few short years." she explained. Was he a record keeper of some sort? There was a fond expression on her face that showed that Maylene was very happy to have been hired to work here. Ivy nodded. It seemed that she would just have to find out for herself.

"Thank you… um… I will be right back please go ahead without me for now." she motioned for Maylene to move on ahead of her. The maroon haired maid blinked for a moment again but relented with a nod and went on. Ivy watched her go for a moment before pursing her lips and hurrying down the hall to where she had last seen the old chibified man just a moment ago. He was still there of course as she rounded the corner. "Good afternoon, Mr. Tanaka." She greeted him with cheerful ease despite the anxious curiosity assaulting her.

"Ho. Ho. Ho!" He rarely ever spoke when he was in that form other than that usual odd signature response of his. It was strange –how the hell did he…?- but he was quite amiable so she did not mind his quirks, besides this was the Phantomhive household, if they could have a demon butler, then Tanaka could shrink and grow as he damn well pleased. No questions asked. She smiled at him.

"I hope you do not think me too forward for asking, however, I am told that you are kept quite informed with the Phantomhive family's business and I feel the need to ask you something of mild importance to me. It is not a particularly big deal… a minor detail really." She clasped her hands in front of her apron calmly. He gave a nod and she sighed at having her first objective completed. "Well alright then." She spoke up clearing her throat softly.

"Yesterday as we all obviously know already, the young master and Mister Michaelis had some business to attend to outside of the manor and were gone for most of the day though they came home earlier than expected." She began to approach the issue casually and innocently so as not to seem too eager to know anything. "Did they perhaps tell you where they were going? On business no doubt?" This was probably going to be awkward. Tanaka inflated to his normal height.

"Why certainly, Miss Ivy. It is only common protocol for the master to let his household know when he is to be out on business matters and for how long. So that we will know how to act accordingly during that amount of time." Ivy mulled over a few details she already knew. It had not been a social endeavor, Ciel did not strike her as a people person and Bard had said that it was indeed business as Tanaka had just confirmed for her. It seemed however that she was still stuck at a dead end no matter what angle she tried to approach from.

Then again any of the Earl's business regarding the Phantomhive company could not have needed such personal tending to outside of the manor and over night for that matter and that was what they had initially planned according to Bard –whether they did or not was irrelevant-. Thus it had to be Watchdog business. The neko girl scolded herself for over-thinking a situation yet… but still, why was her instinct on such a high alert? Her hackles were undeniably raised.

"Why do you ask?" Tanaka tilted his head inquisitively. Ivy had the urge to grin at him upon noting the slightest of gleams in his eyes. Mr. Tanaka was certainly more than he pretended to be. Instead she smiled softly with a bit of anxiety thinking over her word choice.

"Curiosity. I've been getting nervous again. You see… back where the young master rescued me from I had always been kept in the dark about everything that had to do with me, and in almost every aspect of the word. I had to suffer through much anxiety of not knowing what was to come next." Oh she felt terrible, but honestly it was not a complete lie. She had been trapped in human society without a single idea as to what her mother had been planning or any hope to know what was happening wherever she was... or if she was even alive. Those feelings of not knowing, fear, and impatience had never been relieved. Immediately she forced down that old thought process. What became of her mother would only be revealed by the future. "So every now and then it seems that I still get edgy. I did not wish to be presumptuous and ask the young master directly, as I have no right to pry I was just curious to see if you knew what they were doing. Never mind me." She had never felt so dirty. Tanaka just had this aura that made you feel terrible for being the least bit dishonest… like lying to your sweet old grandfather.

"Unfortunately the details of the Watchdog's work is classified as it is strictly the affairs of the crown." He began. "I am not privy to such information. Any information regarding on-going cases is secured under lock and key." Ivy's very mischief keen, demonic side perked up at this. Oh how she hated these moments of hers. They were almost always impossible to restrain and she had a feeling that this particular impulse of hers was going to win out.

"I see." She tapped her bottom lip with her pinky habitually for a second. "Well thank you so much for obliging me anyhow. I must get on with my duties." Her breezy tone of voice conveyed no sign of anything to suspect and the young lady was confident that she had handled the situation with ample grace. Now, she was off to better things for the moment.

….

It felt so uncomfortable for Ivy as she stood outside the Earl's office holding a duster. He was likely working in there still. It was slowly becoming dark outside. She had to clean around in there but…honestly she was debating on whether or not she should wait. Oh how utterly ridiculous. If she could deal with the idea of a clan of demons who hated her and were most likely after her life, then she could damn well clean a twelve year old boy's bloody office. Pushing the doors open, their soft creak was the only indication of her otherwise soundless presence. Ciel did not look up from his work and it was clear to see that he was not in the best of humors as usual.

"Where is my t-?" he stopped short looking up before glancing back down. "Never mind. I assumed you were Sebastian when I did not hear the sound of fumbling or things falling." he stated dryly. Ivy nodded.

"I will take it as a compliment then, young master." It felt so odd to say that out loud... 'young master.' He just grunted and she proceeded to silently dust the bookshelves busily. Keen mint green eyes surveyed the office around her. Only one way to figure out where exactly the boy kept his intelligence when he was not working on it, but just snooping around here was not going to work. Ciel was always working if he was not sleeping… or being tutored. Wait tutored! Yes! Those were the only times where both he _and_ his butler were occupied at the same time. Her only problem… where exactly were the files kept, and if she found out… how and where would she find the keys? It was difficult to say whether or not he was the type to be extra paranoid and find a special hiding place, or to not hide it in any particular place due to the supreme faith he had in his butler, or perhaps he would favor a similar method of concealment as was used in 'The Purloined Letter' by the famed author Poe and 'hide' the papers in plain sight where nobody would think to look. She shook her head to clear it. This called for more careful observation and much less wild speculation. What an over-active imagination she had.

As if to answer her prayers however -for once in a blue moon- the boy slipped a few of his papers away into a drawer and locked it away. He did not seem to care who got a glimpse of it. Then again Ivy found that it was very easy to people to forget that she was in the room. So he kept the keys on himself eh? Or maybe it was just for the moment... after all it seemed all too easy to pick pocket a human boy. It was difficult with Sebastian but she had managed it at least once. Thus it would have been an almost unbelievable stroke of luck if the little earl had kept it on his own person. She had been almost perfectly certain that he would surely hand it over to his butler for safe-keeping, and perhaps he did but at the moment Sebastian Michaelis was a tad occupied. Getting a hold of that key right then and there would have been foolishness too, for where on earth would she get the sufficient alone time in his office before he noticed that he no longer had said key? Ivy deemed it necessary to lie low now that she had almost every variable in mind. She could bide her time for the perfect opportunity and use said time to develop a plan. It was dreadfully risky and she knew that, but nothing in their agreement said that she was forbidden from taking precautions to ensure her safety. That was entirely their own fault and she was not going to hurt anybody. Their gazes met for a brief instant and she just smiled, making the boy look away curtly but not without the slightest of frowns. He likely thought her impertinent but it was better than abruptly looking the other way and making him suspicious.

The rest of her afternoon was spent in silent contemplation. Now, how to get that damn key? Ciel raised an eyebrow at her apparently distracted expression and cleared his throat. It seemed that she had started to knock dust into the boy's hair. Ivy blinked with a slight start and gave an apologetic nod and an awkward half smile. "My apologies." She said genuinely. Great, first Bard now her bloody boss. The boy just frowned sourly.

"Be careful."

"I most certainly will be, my lord." She smiled, remaining the perfect picture of innocence in spite of her unspoken anxiety.

...

Sebastian Michaelis was something of what one could easily call an insurmountable opponent. His abilities and keen foresight seemed almost without parallel. His nature, tenacious and all too clever to be out-witted out of his ultimate goals easily. As for his sheer power and indisputable physical force, Ivy knew even wishing she could stand a chance against it was laughable. Ultimately he was superior to her in every possible angle of competition. Still for all of his advantages over her there was one thing at this very moment that he lacked. His meticulous and compulsive need for perfection placed him obsessively on a tight schedule that he kept to every day of the week. A creature of habit. This made him predictable...something Ivy certainly wasn't.

All it would take was one day. One day of careful observation and constant counting of every minute and second used up. Ivy's sixth sense for the 'auras' of other creatures enabled her to monitor the butler without truly going out of her way to follow him -though at times she was tempted-. In this manner she easily jotted down his unspoken work schedule as she completed her daily chores. Multitasking: Its a beautiful thing. She had not crossed paths with the butler personally since that morning come to think of it. So upon unwittingly walking in on one of Ciel's music lessons with him she barely managed to keep herself from starting at meeting his strangely colored, calculating eyes so unexpectedly. Instead she nodded as if to say 'don't mind me' and began her dusting wordlessly.

Ciel was obviously frustrated with his music lessons as usual. Sheet music. Sheet music. What did he care about music when he had revenge to fulfill? Sebastian was his tutor this time. For some reason he seemed to like dressing the part, even if it was entirely unnecessary. First was scales. Simple unless it was tenth or fifth position. The little earl was getting cranky from sore fingers.

Ivy had come in to do little more than her cleaning, but decided there was no harm in listening as she worked. She observed them every now and then. They did not mean to pay her presence any mind. Thank goodness. The last thing she wanted was more attention from the demon. He was always inclined to his duty as a butler so she would not have to worry while she was here. Ciel was now playing a gavotte, he really did have a good ear but it was obvious that he rarely ever practiced.

One detail about the butler at the moment was really beginning to irk Ivy however. Her nature was quite compulsive and she could not help but wonder at it. Once such a detail caught her eye it was normally near impossible for her to ignore. It had to be explained or solved or she would have no peace. It just did not make any sense to her. She tried not to say anything. Truly she did. It was no use however, in the end... she sharply turned around.

"Why are you wearing glasses?" She demanded just as abruptly. Ciel snorted and pushed back a wide childlike grin. Apparently he must have wondered that a couple of times himself. Sebastian blinked at her. "Pardon the interruption earl." she nodded to Ciel who simply shrugged with a smirk. The butler was clearly annoyed at the delay. Ivy just scoffed. "Do not look at me like that. You get all ruffled up at me about cobwebs or stains that not even _I _notice, and you see _everything_. Now you are telling me that you need reading glasses to look at black notes on a white sheet of paper that were obviously made to be easy to look at. I do not buy it for an instant. Why are you wearing them?" She asked stubbornly.

"Do you make it a habit to focus on needless details?" he raised an eyebrow.

"On the contrary, Mister Michaelis…no detail is needless. Anybody who investigates the way you and the earl must have done in the past should know that every little detail could bring up something critical remember?" she giggled. "My theory is that you do it just because you see most of the human tutors wear them, that or you find them dashing."

"A detail is needless when it actually has nothing to do with the person asking, so the question is…why do you care?" He smirked at her. Ivy rolled her eyes and smirked a bit.

"I don't care. I just think a certain demon is covering up the fact that he enjoys following a fashion trend for the visually impaired of the human race." She stuck out her tongue.

"That is very unladylike, Miss Ivy. Now if you please, no more unnecessary interruptions. Complete your chores elsewhere." He waved her off. With a huff she walked past him, resenting the fact that he was able to order her around. The sudden sting that assaulted her made her freeze. Sebastian smirked when she glared at him, wielding the violin bow in his hand casually. "That was for my pocket watch. You will soon learn that I do not forget easily." He stated.

Ivy Ashcroft had just been whacked in the backside by a violin bow. Ciel awkwardly watched them stare each other down.

"If there was not a child present here. I would stick that violin bow through your eye and out of the back of your head." She growled. "But since Ciel _is _standing right there. I will bide my time and get you back later because as a matter of fact, _I _do not forget easily either." she snapped before storming out and shutting the door. _'I'm going to have a bruise there by tomorrow' _she thought miserably to herself, and then raised a fist to the ceiling in a silent shout of frustration upon realizing that she hadn't even managed to get an answer out of him.

* * *

Author's Note: Once again my apologies for taking so damn long. I just learned that a friend of my family was once personally acquainted with AL CAPONE! OMG! WHY AM I JUST LEARNING THIS NOW? THE QUESTIONS I COULD HAVE ASKED HER DAMMIT! Not much to say other than to beg for forgiveness by taking fan service requests for my one-shots that I will surely do for Kitten is Angry. xD lolololol. Anyways Ciao!


	10. That Maid, Impulsive

Author's Note: Alrighty! The new version of Chapter Ten from Kitten is Angry! The moment of truth for my big ass plot issues. I think this chapter is going to give me way more trouble than the last one. It is such a shame that Ciel is at an all boys' boarding school; it would have been fun to stick Ivy in a uniform for a bit. Sebby would certainly get a kick out of it xD! Don't really know why I even write these notes… I guess it just makes my chapters just look so much prettier lol. I'm hoping that nobody finds any of my writing rushed, cause even though I do try hard to update quickly so that I can get back to my regular chapter updates, I also want to make the events in my plot run at a natural pace. So in the end… don't hold your breath for this update, though it pains me to say it. It honestly took me so long because I was so completely unsatisfied with it… and I still kinda am but… damn it, oh well. Here it goes… ugh.

Disclaimer: Okay… this is a fanfic. Enough said. I do not own the kuroverse, or our favorite butler. If I did do you think I'd be sitting around writing fan-fiction like the sad bored unaccomplished human being that I am? No, I would be off high-rollin it like a boss. Giving my friends and family the good treatment, and giving the butler ridiculous random orders for the hell of it. Ah, the amusement xD.

**Chapter Ten: That Maid, Impulsive**

_"He is every other inch a gentleman." – _Rebecca West

Mrs. Bright: a young and talented tutor whom Ivy had honestly expected to be much older to be any sort of temporary teacher with a reputation like hers. Quite the contrary actually, she was indeed young and lovely, though stern, and detail oriented… and like most women –in spite of her marital status made obvious by the diamond ring she wore- sickeningly sweet on Sebastian Michaelis. More importantly however, Ivy found that today this lady was going to be her savior. The prideful butler's dashing good looks would ensure that she had time both to get that key and perform a quick survey of that wooden drawer.

She provided the perfect opportunity for the neko girl. Thank Ivy's lucky stars that she also had the speed of her clan to back her up. Well that was one thing those bastards were good for: genetics.

Anyway, during her stay at the manor the neko had made it a point to closely observe both boy and butler for a while. That would be what that she needed to make an educated decision as to when would be her best opportunity to start her nosing about. It seemed that the tutor had the habit of making attempts at conversation with the boy and his butler that lasted quite a bit. Perhaps in order to extend the amount of time she spent there. It did tend to work rather well. Thus, a perfect opportunity was presented.

Good thing lessons were not held in Ciel's study. Today she would be coming again. This time however Ivy deemed it best that she try harder to stay out of the way while she was present.

It seemed that her presence mucked things up now and then. Mrs. Bright did not seem particularly fond of her company when Sebastian had asked Ivy to serve the young tutor her tea in his stead. She would have to keep scarce so that he did not repeat the request a second time or all would be blundered up.

However, her current predicament that had her skulking about like a shadow this early morning was the attainment of those damned keys. They were not suspended from a chain conveniently placed on the exposed plain of the butler's vest. They were obscured somewhere _inside _of his jacket. It would be horrifying enough of a thought that she'd have to somehow slip her hand unnoticed into the front of his coat, but heaven knew just how many pockets an anal prick like him had on his person. How the hell would she guess which one it was? What are the odds that she would get it on her first guess? She was more likely to get a handful of the knives and forks he carried with him… that is to say if he did not catch her. If he did catch her…-and it would be near impossible that he didn't-… Dear. God. How the bleeding sodding _hell _would she explain what the bugger she was doing with her hands under his clothes?

A slender hand reached up to slap its palm against a -mortified at the mere notion- forehead. As if granted by providence to her… a thought flittered across her mind. Whenever Sebastian was working with an especially messy scenario, or cooking something in the kitchens… he removed his coat. She loudly clasped her hands almost as if ready to applaud herself with a swell of giggles. This caused Bard who had been nearby -and hadn't noticed her presence- to jump nearly five feet into the air at the sudden sound and stare oddly at her, backing away a few feet. She looked at him and cleared her throat awkwardly, having forgotten about him being there. He did the same and straightened himself up before walking away… slowly.

Ivy curiously watched him leave and had to stifle a small laugh. Oops. Ever since she snapped at him seemingly out of the blue the other day, he had been very jumpy about her. Oh dear what could he possibly be so worried about? Her temper tantrums were not nearly as bad as they once were when she was a child. With a shrug she ignored it. It was a pointless topic to waste time on when she had a self-assigned mission to accomplish.

Any moment now if she was not mistaken Sebastian was going to step into the kitchen to make preparations for the Earl's breakfast. The timing would be excellent. The neko girl scurried down the hall toward her destination. Getting there before him would not be to her advantage because he might give her an assignment if he thought she was being idle. A few minutes afterward sounded like a good idea, once the tailcoat was already removed and he was in the zone. Then with her speed she could quickly rifle through the article and split without a hitch.

Still it would be difficult to accomplish, as she would still be in a _very _close proximity to him. He could turn around at any moment to see her poking around his pockets. It was a hell of a risk. No pun intended. It was too much of a gamble for her to be confident with, but how the devil could she _avoid_ taking such a risk?

"Ah, Maylene!" She called perkily after her fellow maid; upon catching sight of the shock of her maroon-esque hair pass her in the corridor. "Where are you off to?" Her bespectacled friend paused at the address with an airy morning smile. It seemed she was a morning person, unlike Ivy who was pretty sure that if she required the same amount of sleep that the average human required, that she would probably be one poke on the arm away from mass murder every early morning.

"Just on my way to do the linens." She responded pleasantly. Ivy hummed, absorbing the information. Whenever it was Maylene's turn to do the linens, disaster often struck… and when disaster struck it was almost always Sebastian who had to come to the rescue. Wait a minute now! Wait. One. Moment. Her eyes brightened marginally at the opportunity that had presented itself to her.

"Ah yes, it is your turn today after all." She beamed with a breezy air. "Well do not let me to delay you in that case. Lunch outside today?" The neko invited, feeling a bit in the mood for a picnic in half-decent company.

"Good idea." Maylene responded over her shoulder.

"Capital!" Ivy called back with a slight wave and hurried straight for the kitchens once again.

….

As Ivy lurked outside the kitchen, she took note that the butler had the tendency to leave the door to it slightly ajar. Something told her the habit had been developed from all the times his cooking duties were interrupted by the amazing blunders of the other servants, causing him to constantly be running in and out. Ha, so even demons like him had their lazy moments. To be fair there was a difference between convenience and laziness. If it were she in that situation she would probably do the same.

It was only a matter of time. Maylene always repeated the same mistakes, just like the others did. In the meantime Ivy made sure to lurk in the nearest corridor-in her cat form just to be safe- until she heard the tell tale signal of her fellow maid's scream. She felt terrible to be hoping that she would mess up a little faster but damn it really? Getting this over with was more prominent in her mind than her pity for her new friend. She would be fine, albeit a tad embarrassed as she usually was. Ironically the one who seemed to suffer the most ended up always being Sebastian. It was rather refreshing, since she had grown accustomed to seeing him as the _inflictor _of all misfortune rather than the recipient.

Finally the moment arrived in all of its tragic glory. The wails of the ex-sniper echoed unmistakably down the hall and the neko girl hung back ever so slightly. She did not have to see Sebastian leave his work in agitation to know he was on his way. The over-whelming powerful presence he carried announced his movements well enough to her detection. The sudden plunging and rolling of his dark storm cloud aura gave her pause and made her shudder to think that she was attempting to undermine him in any way. It seemed to growl soundlessly with a life of its own as he moved down the hall. Perhaps going so far to learn something that might not even have been anything of real significance was a bit presumptuous of her! Perhaps it was not worth it!

But… oh dear… No. No turning back now. Even if it turned out to be an entirely pointless waste of her time and concern. 'I am seeing those papers… if only for the sake of having an adventure in this tedious English manor environment.' Ivy then decided to deem it as a way to test out her abilities. He was gone down the hall almost all too suddenly and the Halfling did not waste a second. Heaven knows how much time one had in a scenario like this. Crouching low to the ground she made a diagonal beeline patting along on all fours with her ears flattened back against her head, and a fluffy tail between her hind legs.

As she slipped through the partially open doors of her destination -gently so as not to disturb the hinges too much- she transformed back to her normal form. Then, looking about like a nervous ferret emerging from a hole, she hurried over to where the crisp black tailcoat hung innocently on the back of a chair. Her heart pounded and her hands shook ever so slightly as she clasped the crisp woolen fabric. In her haste she dug frantically in the pockets hoping beyond all hope to find what she was after as soon as possible. First try: nothing… and the jingle of butter knives made her jump in her paranoid frenzy. "Damn it." The other pocket proved far more generous toward her cause when the jolly tinkling of the master keys met her ears and her fingers brushed the many little metal barrels. Quickly her fingers grasped the cool ring and pulled out the object of her search.

That was the wonderful moment when she noted just how many keys this manor had. Holy jumping bleeding shit balls. Why hadn't she thought of this before? She began to frantically search through the many keys for the one she needed. "No. No. No! No! _No!_ **Damn** it where **are** you?" She whispered harshly, she accidentally dropped the coat in the process but didn't pause to pick it up. Cursing repeatedly under her breath in a way that would make the local street urchins of Bedfordshire quite proud.

"Ah!" she squeaked when she finally found it and quickly covered her mouth in self-reprieve. "There you are. Now come on. Come on. Come to mama. _Come ooonnn!"_ She danced in place as she twisted the key to get it off of the chain, murmuring to it in breathy singsong tones. She was familiar enough with the simple mechanism to be able to remove a simple key from a ring of them. "Gotcha." She whispered, eyeing the stubborn thing triumphantly only to go into a panic when she felt a surge of stifling immovable dormant power moving back up the hall.

"Oh! Curse you Sebastian Michaelis." She hissed expressively as she shoved the key into her apron pocket and practically dove for the tailcoat she had dropped so carelessly to the ground. It was like he was fated to be her all time life's biggest obstacle. He wouldn't let her get a job, he wouldn't let her run away, he wouldn't let her have chocolate, and now he was in her way yet again! She growled and stuffed the key into her apron pocket and returned the keys into his coat pocket at the same time as he entered through the door.

Ivy froze, clutching his jacket and blinking up at him from her crouch on the tiled floor. He looked mildly amused, but puzzled none the less. "Miss Ivy, whatever are you doing?" An elegant eyebrow arched as he smoothly questioned her current situation. The neko girl very gracefully maneuvered her predicament with a flustered but immediate response. The back of her neck felt hot.

"Oh! Good morning, Mister Michaelis. I saw the dishes unfinished and I thought you might be busy so I was going to wash them but… I seem to have knocked over your coat in the process." She informed briskly, rising to stand. "You see, erm… some silverware fell out in the aftermath and I was putting them back in." The weight of the pilfered item secured within her apron almost seemed to burn against her thigh through her various petticoats.

"Indeed." The butler remarked as he plucked the article from her hands and draped it back over the chair where it rested before. Internally Ivy face palmed at herself for just standing there holding his coat like a little dolt. Sebastian seemed to pay it very little mind and she was not sure whether or not to feel secure about that. It was difficult to tell whether he knew something or didn't. "Well, I see no reason why you shouldn't finish up, it would save my schedule from Miss Maylene's interruption to be able to skip straight to preparing the young master's breakfast."

Whether or not he believed her statement she had no idea, but boy was she overjoyed that he did not feel the need to press the issue. She rolled up her sleeves, hoping that neither boy nor butler would find themselves in need of the key that she had just pilfered until well after the tutor had left.

What was the young master doing that very moment? Something time consuming and long she hoped. In her anxiety she felt extra paranoid, washing the left over dishes as quickly as she possibly could manage without being negligent. 'Be cool.' She told herself. 'Be cool. He doesn't know about the bloody keys. Oh dear what have I gotten myself into! No. Stop that. No use regretting it now, no turning back.'

All internal pep talks and musings were abruptly interrupted by the sudden touch of a large warm hand against the small of her back. Really it had been a simple, fairly harmless gesture, meant to nudge the girl slightly forward and out of the butler's path as he moved to take care of his young master's scones. However… Ivy being a mildly paranoid, anxious, and currently distracted petty thief on the edge, was greatly startled by it reflexively. She squeaked and turned swiftly, nearly dropping Bard's favorite mug in the process. Fortunately she caught it mid air. However, in the process she also ended up splashing Sebastian, square in the face. So much for helping him out.

He blinked stiffly and in her flustered state she stiffly placed the mug in his fingers, gave an apologetic nod and immediately dismissed herself, all before he could kick her out himself. Making an attempted beeline for the door with her ears back and her tail between her legs. His hand shot out to grasp her wrist earning another yelp as he easily twirled her back to her spot in front of the counter like a wayward ballerina doll.

"Where pray are you going, Miss Ivy?"

"I'm sorry okay?" She protested loudly tugging away her appendage as he loosened his grasp.

"Are you going to complete your task? Or would you prefer to discuss whatever it is that has turned you into such a bundle of nerves this morning?" He inquired. She blinked once or twice before covering her mouth as her eyes fluttered shut and she had to quell the surge of giggles that suddenly assaulted her. He simply blinked flatly at her outburst and folded his arms.

"Yes… I-…I'll wash." She managed. How scatterbrained of her. "I am really very sorry. Oh dear, look at you Mister Michaels, all sopped from face to shirt collar, and frowning like- pfft!" Her laughter returned, cheeks flushing pink, too tickled to complete her sentiment. "Hahahahaha! Of all the cowardliness in the world I can't believe that I was just going to run off without finishing over this foolishness!" She shook her head. "You'll be fine, you deserve much worse after all. What can you do about it anyway?" The little neko babbled, waving him off dismissively.

There was a swift move of his arm that gave her a start and she jumped, only to relax upon the realization that he was only holding out the mug for her to take back. He raised his eyebrows; she was too funny to remain cross with. Ivy silenced herself contritely with a smile and took it from his grasp. "Try to keep your sudden case of butterfingers under control, little one. If you please." He nudged her toward her task in a similar manner that he had before. The neko deemed it best that she avoid his attention, grateful that he seemed to be having a rough morning so far. This way he was far less inclined to take the time from his schedule to man handle her dignity over a proverbial river of lava. His usual behavior with her would have made it very difficult for her to hide the hand that was currently still in the proverbial cookie jar.

…

**Flashback:**

_"I know you're following me." A boy with green eyes growled over his shoulder in annoyance. No response awaited him as usual. This was all his father's fault. "I can feel you, same as you feel me. As much as it pains me to admit that you share a piece of my lineage, presumptuous little thing." He continued to walk hoping that the abominable embarrassment of a cousin that he had would relent and move on to some other past time.. It is what she usually did with all of the others. _

_ Still much to his disappointment he could feel the breezy little tingle that she did not even bother to **attempt** concealing, still lingering a distance behind him. "Go away." He glared at nothing in particular. _

_ Nothing. He kept walking. "Just because your mother keeps you around like some sort of pet to flaunt her outrageous gall around, doesn't mean the rest of the Ashcrofts want you around. My father is charitable to the both of you beyond what is appropriate, but I refuse to be mistaken as one who would follow his outrageous and appalling example. If you won't stop following I will **make **you." At the end of his rant there was still nothing but utter silence. Satisfied the older of the two children trudged on, confident that his words would be heeded. Only they weren't. Insolent! Just like her father. _

_ He reared hard around. "Where are you?" He demanded walking in the other direction now. Wait… why couldn't he tell where she was? Damn it, how embarrassing. He could feel her presence… and she didn't seem to care… but why couldn't he figure out where she was? He frowned. He had honed his senses to perfection and was the most promising tracker out of all the other children in the clan, how on earth did she manage this? A small rock pelted him in the head and he turned in that direction. "What the-!" Then again from the other side. "Ow!" _

_ "I didn't follow you cause I like it. Mama told me to. As a test." _

_ "What did you do?" He bellowed, ignoring her statement. Her large eyes narrowed at him as she appeared, crawling from the brush. _

_ "It's a secret." She hissed. He began taking strides toward the little creature and she bolted away. Stopping, the full breed child huffed and folded his arms. _

_ "Go away." He commanded. "Or I will say that you have been misbehaving, and your mother will get into trouble." The boy mentioned his 'aunt' with some disdain. Really he was bitter. Salena Ashcroft had been one of the models he intended to fashion himself after, second only to his father. How could she disappoint them all this way? To bear some…**human's **offspring. It had felt like such a betrayal, especially now that she had no more time to teach him. To make him her protogee like he had hoped for so long… because she chose to teach… **her**. Mint green orbs softened in a numb realization of some sort at his threatening words. _

_ "I can't." Her little head hung. "My mama isn't here and your otou-chan said he couldn't stay either." At this the boy let out a deep and furious breath. That meant that his father had, had the nerve to send her off to him. What did he look like? A wet-nurse? How he hated the little thing standing in front of him. Glaring at her, he finally relented with a huff. _

_ "Did he tell you I had to watch you?" He sounded even more disgusted than he felt. The lack of response was answer enough for him and he could feel the swell of indignation grow within his little chest. "Why didn't you just save time and tell me that, instead of following me around like an idiot?" Once again she glared up at him._

_ "Mama told me to. As a test." She repeated with some amount of exasperation in her tiny voice, and then she lowered her gaze once again with a seething look at the ground beneath her feet. "… and I didn't want to play with you." She hated the bigger boy before her about as much as she hated all the other mean spirited, hateful full-bred offspring that surrounded her whenever her mother was not around. The family mostly only ever tolerated her presence. She was never completely safe. The only thing that kept the family at bay when Salena was gone was his father out of respect for a most formidable and trustworthy sister. Needless to say he suffered among his other relations because of it. _

_ For a moment there was little more that the boy could do other than glare down at the little one. "The feeling is mutual." He voiced readily, and when he took a step toward her she quickly scurried a good distance away, defensively waving the colorful little parasol that she clutched in her still slightly pudgy fingers. "Stay put." He scolded. His irritated words only seemed to spurn her to flee all the more and she took a step back. _

_ "Stop." He put one of his feet forward. "I don't want to play with you either but if- Hey! Don't you run… come here." He warned motioning her over, if only he had been more capable of dealing with a little girl. But the sole concern on the boy's mind was that if she managed to run away, she would be wandering all on her own about the premises. And then… if anybody were to find her alone and unguarded… if something were to happen… his father would be disappointed and furious… but his aunt… she would lose her mind. If only he had been somewhat kinder back then. Instead in his childish anxiety and impatience he lunged at her. _

_ "**Get over here you**! NO!" A bounce of wavy black hair and she was gone like a shot. Not uttering so much as a terrified shriek, just pure experienced flight. How many times had she needed to do that? Instantly he made chase. "Damn it! Wait! Stop!" There was no response but he kept going. "Stay where I can FEEL YOU DAMN IT! IVY!" _

_ It was the first time he had ever used her name before and he was instantly ashamed by it. The last of his bellow echoed around him. Just as he froze in self-astonishment the boy only just realized that she was gone. Gone. Gone! **Gone!** That disobedient little brat had left his sights. How could she have done this? She was an idiot! If he did not find her, it would be the first time he had ever failed fulfilling a task for his father. He lost her trail as if she had been torn from her own course and he knew… he was able to get a general idea of where she was but still he knew… that he had failed. _

_ Upon running to find his father he trembled and it seemed that havoc had already ensued between his father… and his aunt who was beyond beside herself with indignation. Then much to both his relief and dismay, there sat a slightly dull-eyed but unharmed little neko halfling. They had both yelled at him for his negligence and his father's opinion of his responsibility had never been the same afterwards. Though he had, had to stop Salena from punishing him herself, especially what with the rage she was in. He had never cried once before in his life but at that moment he had come pretty damn close._

_ Still it was not over. What had happened during the time he had spent trying to track her down, had set off a fuse for something that devastated his entire being. An event in which two important people vanished and a fight began._

**End Flashback **

Now much older, that same young Ashcroft tracker stood in a market full of oblivious human beings. His green eyes surveyed them in detail and yet with a far off indifference. He recalled how after that day, he had sworn to become the best of the best. So that nothing like this could happen to his family or himself a second time. An ironic smirk twitched back the self-mockery of a snort that wanted to come out. It seemed that even now he was unable to keep up with that green eyed little nymph.

An image of a dull-eyed little girl stared at him in his mind's eye. No doubt she would be older now. Did she look very much like her mother? Or perhaps… well he would never quite imagine what her father had looked like, though he had heard many a fearsome tale of the man. There were far too many presences around him, tickling his senses like the vibrations of a wasp's nest. Detestable.

His royal -butt-munch- highness would probably throw a fit if he saw him here supposedly dawdling. What did he care though? He gave the thought a mental shrug. Jet Bercarius was just as much to blame in this as he was… if not more so. "I am the best." He whispered, refocusing himself on the task at hand. "That is why I am here. Who is or is not to blame is now irrelevant." A small body stumbled somewhere nearby and abruptly collided with his. Arms instinctively clasped around this figure, breaking it's or rather _her _fall.

"Eep! Excuse me!" She sounded flustered, long wavy black hair covering her face and then she caught his gaze and blinked up at him. Her cheeks grew red and for some reason he felt very disappointed at the sight of bright blue eyes. Had he perhaps hoped that it would be so easy? "Excuse me." She repeated, this time in a more awed tone. The twittering sound of her giggling friends seemed to bring him back to reality.

"Excuse _me, _Miss." He said in a manner both gentile and well bred, steadying her gracefully and stepping away with a bow. "We were both simply distracted, whether by our own thoughts or our hustle and bustle through the wilds and signs of miraculous every day life." Oh dear, he had become _such _a bull-shitter… and he wasn't even sorry. They all watched him leave though he noticed it very little. Would Ivy now look something like that girl? She was so tiny the last time he had seen her. It seemed impossible to imagine her giggling and carrying on that way when he had never even seen the child smile. Would she have been that way had she been a full breed neko raised among the other females? Probably not.

"There you are."

"Missing me already?"

"Get back to work. Worthless tripe."

"Who's more worthless? The worthless tripe? Or the worthless tripe who needs assistance from worthless tripe?"

"I'll have your head once this is over."

"You will try." The two young men glared darkly at one another. Before another word could be spoken the older of the two spoke up once again. "Not to worry princess, I'm not slacking at the moment. My… associate of sorts should be meeting up with us here shortly. You may keep watch yourself if you like." Brushing past him, he ignored the scalding insult that was thrown his way in the process.

_I am the best… _

_…That is why I'm here now._

….

"She's here?" Ivy asked softly, careful not to sound too hopeful. Carrying out her duties had been an agony, watching the clock, and feeling plain paranoid that Ciel would, by some cruel twist of fate, find himself in need of a specific key. Her luck seemed to land her in those sorts of scenarios quite a bit.

The servant trio didn't seem to catch wind of anything, though honestly if they bought some of the things that she had seen them buy, it shouldn't have been a big surprise. "Yep." Was all that Bard said, not even looking at her as he puffed away at his cigarette. "The young master is being kept pretty busy by now. I'm telling you, she may be kinda cute but… way too straight laced for my liking. Reminds me of a teacher I once had as a kid. Stuffy and so… so… British… no offense." He drawled on. Ivy rolled her eyes and shrugged. What did she care? Technically she wasn't _really _British. Technically she wasn't even part of this realm though she had lived here for the majority of her life so far. "What did you think?" He asked her casually as if testing water.

Again the neko girl shrugged. "You've been here longer than I. There isn't particularly much to be said for her. I've not taken enough time to observe much farther than your assessment." She admitted to this with no regret. He just nodded as if seeing her point.

"She seems to be kinda…"

"Married and still oozing her flooze up at Sebastian? Yeah I know. Isn't it gross?" The neko laughed it off airily. Bard couldn't help but at least scoff at her wording, and then he nodded.

"Oozing flooze at him, I gotta say I've never really heard that one before. You're right and I don't get it. He's fairly easy on the eyes and his pretty damn talented at just about everything… but he's still just a servant. What do you women see in him exactly that makes you like him THAT much?" He inquired. "Enough to still chase after him regardless of station that is." At this Ivy was inclined to feel insulted.

"Now how in the nine circles of Hell's outhouse would I know that?" She placed her hands on her hips. "Do you see me oozing any flooze? Certainly not, and it would be no surprise that women of nobility would want him –likely as more of a lover of no true consequence- seeing as how they are forced to pick their future spouses from among the hoards of crooked nosed, ugly ass, in-bred, aristocrats that we've all had the disdain of having to look upon in passing." At this the head chef burst out laughing, dropping his cigarette.

"Very good point!" He laughed with a slap to his knee. "I think at that rate I'd pick Sebastian too!" There was no time for her to continue idle chatter, though she was having fun criticizing the stupidity of such women and their companions. It was finally time to get moving.

"So. Did you see where they were?"

"I _think _they were headed for the library last time I saw them." Good. Now to make an inconspicuous exit she allowed her mind to work. She nodded with a shrug.

"I see. Well… I can't imagine why Sebastian would need to bring in a tutor at all, perhaps to avoid awkward questioning from outsiders. He's probably far better qualified to do these things himself. What sort of tutor is she?" She puzzled casually. Bard rose an eyebrow.

"Well the young master is not particularly good at dancing and he refuses to allow Sebastian to teach him ever since that last time so…yeah. How come?" He questioned her curiosity. She just raised her shoulder in a girlish shrug and went about her business. "Ivy… you jealous of Teacher Mcflooze?" He suddenly inquired. The halfling's gaze sharpened and her pupils shrank into slits. Bard felt an instinctive cold sweat break out at this reaction of hers.

"I find that implication very insulting seeing as I can't see any reason to be jealous. Do_ you_ think I should be for any reason?" Pushing off the counter she walked around the island to lean against the wall beside him. Her small figure seemed to be almost stalking him with large focused eyes. Was she cornering him into insulting her? The blond chef swallowed hard.

"Not really…"

There was a moment of silence. "Teacher Mcflooze…I like that name. We should keep it." She chuckled lightly; the atmosphere suddenly brightened and was back to normal.

"Anyway, don't you worry, Bard. So long as Mcflooze is here I will be able to do my work in peace. I am very pleased." Now he just blinked at her. She _had _to be bipolar. "Oh well! I'm finished here so I guess I should get a move on." Now he would definitely not remark over her sudden departure and just be glad that she wasn't going to kill him in a fit of the insanity that he seemed so certain she possessed. 'Am I good? I think so.' She grinned to herself in satisfaction, breezing out of the room.

Now that she had been there for a while the extravagant décor, structure, and coloring of the manor seemed much less foreboding than it had originally. It was as if the shadows that made up the place had somehow now accepted her as a natural part of it rather than an outsider. Still it was frightening that the place could practically be considered to have a mind of its own in her mind's eye. Her footsteps echoed gaily on the polished hard floors. Her form soundlessly bounded up the stair well and she barely noticed the dark paintings in the hall anymore.

The young earl's office had never exactly given off the home sweet home, mi casa es su casa, vibe to it. Even now as the young neko halted before the door of said location she was still not fond of it. However as she pushed open the door it felt different. Without the presence of the ill tempered child and his aggravating, evil, ass monkey, butler from hell… it was less unnerving and more… stuffy, cold –despite the physical warmth provided by a fresh supply of coke to safeguard the manor from the chilly late autumn air-, and so devoid of any real life.

The silence felt stonier as if the atmosphere itself were staring at her with accusation for sneaking into such a place. It was like nobody had even entered the room in over a decade, even though it had clearly just been in use that morning. A gentle 'click' sounded as she shut the door behind herself and it made her wince. Quickly she scampered over to the desk and began fumbling with her apron for the pilfered key. Every noise nearly gave her a mini heart attack before she finally heard the welcome 'clink' of the now opened lock in the desk drawer.

Sliding it open, her senses met the crackle of files and the lingering scent of sandalwood. "Alright." She mouthed to herself wasting no time to begin fingering through her well-organized bounty. It was set up in order of dates. Thank all things working in the name of good and decency for that! Moistening the tip of her index finger with her tongue hastily she made her way to the front of the drawer and carefully laid a specific file onto her propped knee. 'Come on.' She thought. 'What am I looking for? Something familiar…' Her heart pounded as if afraid to see something that justified her fears. She told them that she wanted to be included in all information regarding those who hunted her.

Honestly it seemed like something so insignificant to react so strongly over if they had in fact kept something from her, however it all boiled down to this: If she could not trust them with their word on something so insignificant then how could she possibly trust them with the biggest promise of them all? –Not simply handing her over the moment they may realize how much more convenient it would be-…

All seemed well and just as she was prepared to rest easy and even begin to feel guilty for nosing around her employers –clearly private- work information, her eye happened to catch something, purely by chance. Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. "I'm an idiot." She muttered returning the papers to their proper place and not even bothering to maintain silence as she had before. Instead she just stood up and slammed the drawer shut. 'This is no time to blow your top Ivy.' She told herself sternly. It would only be proper to handle this calmly and rationally.

….

Ciel gave a start when she barged into his office and Ivy felt a bit vindicated by his reaction though not by much. So much for rational and calm. "Hello, Earl Phantomhive. I would have a word with you." She folded her arms. The boy raised a brow at her brashness and set down his pen. First a dance tutor and now this.

Ivy cringed when the door opened behind her and she could feel Sebastian and his fluid movements rolling in a tea tray. "Oh good! The enforcer has arrived as well, and just in time." She smiled sarcastically in his direction. Immediately rising to the occasion with a grin, –always game for a round of banter- the butler opened his mouth to respond with his own smug come back. Ciel cleared his throat first however and the butler nodded setting down his tea and pouring.

"I have just been able to get back onto my usual routine. If you wish to discuss something with me, I'm sure it can wait. I have no time-" As if to emphasize her rising ire Ivy interrupted him by loudly stabbing the pilfered key into his chocolate cake just as the demon butler was setting it down. To hell with whether or not they now knew about her nosing, paranoid venture. They both blinked from the unexpected action. She now knew she had their attention. Actions spoke louder than words after all.

"I really think you need to _make_ time. This is concerning the terms of our agreement. Our _still ongoing _agreement I believe." She hissed. The boy looked absolutely outraged and as usual Sebastian remained cool, calculated, and difficult to read though a tad bit surprised. A gloved hand removed the key from the snack that he had gone through so much trouble to prepare and he placed it back down on the tray. Ciel stared, blinking at the gall she displayed… she was by no means maid material. His butler was still behind her, watching her now with unreadable darkness. With a twitch upon gazing at his now deformed cake, he pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke up once again.

"You had better have something of importance to say if I'm going to excuse your behavior, Miss Gateau." Ivy had a surge of indignant ranting to respond to that statement of his with but a sudden realization quelled the flames. Large eyes blinked and she froze momentarily distracted. Miss what now?

"What did you call me?" The boy, for a second, looked just as puzzled as her before responding in turn.

"Miss Ivy, really? How can you convince others of an alias if you begin to constantly forget it yourself?" Alias? But… hadn't she-? Slowly her gaze slid to the butler just barely standing outside of her peripheral vision, behind her. He made no reaction, simply opting to pour his master's tea before he went to replace the abused pastry. She was silent with narrowed eyes for several thoughtful moments. Ciel narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her reaction.

"Indeed. How silly of me." She almost whispered in a dark tone. Why had the demon not told his master her name? Was that not the entire reason he had sought to ask her at all? Immediately upon noticing the strained silence that she created after causing such a commotion she snapped out of her internal puzzling. A few rebellious strands that had escaped her prim and proper bun bounced slightly as she shook her head as if to clear it of a distraction. "Earl Phantomhive… when precisely –pray tell- were you planning on telling me about these new little issues concerning a few English workhouses?" She asked in a deceptively sweet manner.

A look of comprehension crossed his face briefly and what added wood to the fire was the casual way he disregarded her indignation and clearly thought nothing of the situation. Not even acknowledging that he had done anything to upset her. He simply sipped his tea and cleared his throat.

"Workhouses? Just a trifle, a dead end that gave us nothing of use." His small hand waved it off, blue sapphire on the ring twinkling slightly from the cloudy light coming through the large window. A window that was giving her ideas right about then, but she ignored it. "Thus giving me no reason to inform you of anything, as there was no intelligence acquired." Ivy's fists clenched at her side and her gaze immediately shot toward the butler with pursed lips, this was likely all due to _his _influence. Then she glared at the boy seated before her.

"I never said a thing about the information you gathered being useful or not. I specifically said-"

"You said 'information', 'whatever information'. No intelligence was gathered and thus we would be wasting time dwelling on it. Even to inform you about it. Time that could be better spent finding new leads." Sebastian murmured simply. The butler's obsession with saving time was not one his most appealing qualities right now. She sucked her teeth and allowed her eyes to shoot daggers at him.

"I'm sorry. I don't recall directing my argument –the one you so rudely interrupted- toward you. I was under the impression that I was in a discussion with the king of Lilliput here, not his talking snack dispenser." At her declaration, Sebastian knew that he probably should have been affronted but… he couldn't bring himself to take it too personally. He could take care of her mouth later. The young master however puffed up and his cheeks flushed pink at what she had called him.

"Hmph! You are too hasty with your words. Our agreement was that any _information _gathered about your case would be brought to you, not any _possible-perhaps-could-be _information. This term implies strictly proven facts, NOT theories such as this specific venture." He spoke coldly and harshly, with the gall to stare challengingly at her. Oh so he wanted to go there. Ivy breathed deeply and placed her hands behind her head, trying to think about ponies, cupcakes… anything but flipping his bulky overly extravagant desk over.

"You don't want to get into semantics with me. I promise you, you don't." She held up a single finger aggressively. "…Because in this particular case… you will most definitely lose." Sebastian was strangely silent, curious to see two of the most unique and particular creatures of his acquaintance clashing uninterrupted. How would they handle one another? They were both quick witted and resourceful; it was anybody's guess.

"Miss Ivy… as I have made it clear that our agreement has not been breached… I see no point in prolonging this discussion." The boy murmured. He clearly did not give her temper much consequence. "I _would _however like to deliberate with you over, this whole sneaking about, thieving, and rifling through my study… stint."

"You never forbade me in our terms." She responded quickly, turning his logic around on him. "So then, you are determined to be unapologetic about this I presume?" She folded her arms as if waiting for the confirmation that she needed. Ciel folded his arms.

"I see no reason to be apologetic over your lack of foresight and naiveté." He stated rather evenly, a dangerous gleam in the large blue eye that stared fiercely at her. At this, her hard gaze sharpened.

"My lack of foresight and naïveté… I suppose from you that translates to expecting common courtesy from one I've been made to collaborate with. Is it naïve of me to think of you honorably…?" Her eyes brightened somehow as if seizing upon a new scent. "If I were more clever… would I suspect that you regard me as nothing more than a pawn perhaps?" The idea was abhorrent. The very idea of being used… every feeling within her revolted. Ciel simply entwined his fingers under his nose thoughtfully before speaking again.

"Do not look so surprised. Just as the pieces on a chess board are moved and perish for their purpose…once eliminated they have no more use, and every piece must be carefully maneuvered in their own place and serve their purpose, the knight, the bishop, the queen, the rook, and the pawn." he said in a dark tone of voice. Ivy just stared at him.

"I can only think you and your inky black wall of manpower hindrances in such a case. I can't afford to trust those with such a… work ethic." Her expressionless face made the boy raise an eyebrow in suspicion. Sebastian was keen on the exchange between them, amused at their interaction. He grinned to himself, much like a child watching two fond pets scuffling. "You expect everyone around you to be pawns… to use as stepping stones for your own purposes? To die over your agenda and have it not matter, as if it were some ultimate purpose? I wish I could feel so self-important."

"I have no time to listen to such naïve idealisms. This world is unkind. There are only those who steal or are stolen from. All you can rely on is yourself. Do not speak in ignorance." He waved her off dismissively, clearly more than a little annoyed at this point. Being called ignorant was not something Ivy was willing to swallow. Ever. Her eyes smoldered. Oh consequences be damned he was about to get his. Oh, she would rip him a twelve-year-old new one.

"A.) Steal or stolen from. Only a child could attempt to condense the ways of the world into two simple categories. I apologize but things are just a little bit more complicated than 'steal or be stolen from' sunshine. Life is kinder to some than others, you and I both got the short ends of the sticks. Should I then be gallivanting around going out of my way to make others miserable for fear that if I don't steal I will be stolen from? Of all the insidious jokes, imagine how chaotic that would be. B.) Naïve? _Ignorant? _You are calling me… ignorant? You who bases his life philosophy on limited board games? Once again, life proves more complicated than how you have painted it. And C.) You are referring to self-reliance! When does that part come in? When you actually do something on your own for once? After all not every miserable and dying child has had the opportunity to summon…one of _those_ and still have the nerve to even utter the word self-reliance! Can you even brush your teeth without him!?"

"ENOUGH!" A blue eye blazed with wild unquenchable fire. Perhaps Ivy had crossed the line, even Sebastian was uncharacteristically silent. She did have the tendency of not thinking everything she said through thoroughly enough when she was angry, and clearly she had just blown it. "Sebastian. Remove a certain female from my sight-"

"DON'T! Touch. Me." She reeled away, the butler's eyes narrowed. "There is no need. I can walk out on my own." Her heart was pounding in her ears and she was breathing deeply to remain impassive. Shockingly she was not afraid. She was furious.

…

The angry spring in her steps as Ivy stormed down the corridor, and the head start she had given herself, still couldn't deter the ease with which a certain butler matched up to her pace, quickly pulling up to walk beside her. She would not even look at him to gage his expression. "Can your manners be any worse?" His voice made her back and shoulder stiffen furiously.

"Get away from me." She hissed, still not looking at him, the fur on her tail bristling and puffing. He remained where he was, impassive to her body language and tone.

"Dishes and silverware indeed. I might have known you'd never be so clumsy. I am impressed however at your proficiency."

"Why hadn't you told him my name?" She reared on him with a suspicious glare. He smirked.

"Why were you snooping about the young master's private study?"

"I was doing NOTHING against our agreement by ensuring my security. Now answer the question."

"You must think me a simpleton. I know the rules as well as you do. I have lived for quite a while-"

"_Rusty old fart." _

Her disruptive muttering caused him to pause and cast her a disapproving glance to which she rolled her eyes. He continued. "When a half-breed willingly gives their true name to a mortal –indirectly or not- a price must be paid by said mortal. Naturally I would not allow such a risk to be taken." So. Bleeding. Close! Ivy wanted to strangle herself for giving in so quickly when he asked, and then paused with a frown.

"Why would you even bother asking me at all then?" Her hands flew to her hips and she stopped walking, turning her body to face him. Once again he smirked.

"Would you believe perhaps, that I simply wanted to know the name of my charming companion?"

"Not for an instant."

"Then I have nothing more to say in this regard." An innocent shrug.

"Rot in hell."

"Join me."

"Mister Michaelis-!" She almost snapped and took a deep breath, smoothing her hair with both hands. "We are not going to do this. I don't care what you or the baby Polyphemus have to say about it, this mess was a breech of our original agreement." She poked him in the chest firmly.

"How can you be sure it was intentional? He is a child after all." He grinned. Ivy's eyes narrowed.

"Don't treat me like an idiot. He sent you to deal with me after my tantrum didn't he? To make sure I don't tepee his manor, poison his afternoon tea, or leave tacks on his chairs? I'm not sorry I put my point across -though perhaps I was harsh- that child has developed a massive superiority complex. I blame you." She continued to poke him for better emphasis until he caught her wrist with a chuckle. At that point she began to dig her heels into the ground and pull at her arm in a struggle to free her captured appendage.

"Miss Ivy." He pressed her into the wall slowly, deliberately, and leaned over her. One hand pinned her wrist beside her head while she pushed at his shoulder with her free hand, and the other rested on the wall beside her. "We are all doing our best to handle this situation, our treatment of you is not going to change over a childish outburst-" She very suddenly swiped at his eyes with her claws and he jerked back. "Ah-ah!" One large hand now pinned both arms against her chest by the wrists. "We need you here, just as you need our protection." He reasoned. "Why not cooperate?" He purred persuasively, a bit closer now. Her gaze trailed elsewhere, dull and tired. They were trying to make sure she didn't try to escape maybe. Something in her eyes hardened.

"I _need_ nothing from you." She growled, eyes glowing with the slits of cat in them.

"Then why run from them?" He cornered her and she had no response. There was still no guarantee that they would not sell her out now. Perhaps she had not made that point clear enough to them yet, but no matter. Instead she settled with silence for now. "You have nowhere else to go." He reminded her. She visibly settled down but her gaze never changed.

"Mister Michaelis I promise… you wont like me this way."

* * *

Author's Note: There you have it, my long ass chapter ten. I know its not the same but w/e. At least take solace in the fact that its so damn long. I'm not fond of how it came out BUT I can fix it after I finish the general story. For now my basic events are falling into place and that's all that counts for me. Now I don't expect much reviews but feel free if you have ignored my warnings and continued reading this fic despite what it says in the summary. Thank you and to all a good night.


	11. That Maid, Reprimanded

Authors Note: Hopefully this will be the last of the revised plot chapters, and hopefully I will be finished with this one much quicker than before. Then I shall be off knit picking the rest to get rid of any statements that don't match up with the story as it is now. Its four a.m. while I'm writing this authors note because let's face it I'm an insomniac and I have bad habits. Maybe I'm just guilty for updating so little on everything too. Mrs. Bright was not exactly a made up character in case anybody wondered. In the beginning of the manga, when Sebastian was convincing Ciel that he should learn to dance, Ciel mentioned the name of several tutors that visited once in a while. 'Mrs Bright' happened to be one of them. Though it was only a name I used that name and sort of fed off of it for my own convenience since they did not mention anything else about her. Okay so I'm done here.

Disclaimer: I do not own this manga, or the anime accompanying it. Nothing. Just flexing my pecks here for fun. Break out the intellectual body oil! Make my brain glisten up in here xD!

**Chapter Eleven: That Maid, Reprimanded**

_She is so pretty, she takes away a man's breath, she has no right to be intelligent, daring, and independent as well as lovely.'_ -George Bernard Shaw

Ciel was giving Sebastian an extremely hard time this morning. The butler sighed standing in the middle of the room as the young earl dressed himself in an awkward, slow fashion. It appeared as though he had taken the toothbrush remark more to heart than he had let on yesterday. He was already off schedule by at least five minutes. "Young master, why not simply-"

"No!" he snapped stubbornly. It appeared that the boy was determined to prove something to himself today. He growled a thing or two under his breath. He had brushed his own teeth in a similar manner although managed to get himself soaked around his collar. The butler shook his head. That girl had just thrown off his schedule for the day by not keeping that mouth of hers in check. He hadn't seen much of her after their…exchange yesterday. Which reminded him that he needed to be getting the servants to do their chores about now. There was a sigh. Ciel was ready…well for the most part. Shaking his head the butler fixed what needed attention on his young master's attire.

"There is nothing special planned on the schedule today, although we will be having your music lessons this afternoon." he informed the earl who grunted in response. To their surprise there was a sudden knock sounding on the door. The two exchanged glances. "What is it?" Sebastian asked, knowing that it could only be one of the servants. Without another word, the door was thrust open by three very shocked servants.

"SHE'S GONE!" They all chorused at once. Tanaka stood nearby silently nodding. Ceil blinked in confusion for a moment but both master and butler quickly deciphered whom they meant considering the absence of the petite neko among the brood. She was always easy to pick out among the animated group. They all made her seem very statuesque and silent when standing around her. Ciel's azure gaze darted to look at his butler, who also seemed slightly taken aback.

"So she decided to run off." Ciel remarked. "Strange seeing as she had nowhere else to go." he added. It was indeed unexpected of her to simply disappear. In fact it could have been considered rude if one cared for such things. Honestly the earl found society to be extremely bothersome, focusing on such needless little details, some of which often making no sense. This was bothersome indeed. Sebastian seemed puzzled.

"It is strange that I did not notice." He stated. She had left without the demon even hearing or sensing a single thing. Half-breeds must have been extremely formidable if they all could manage such a feat. He briefly recalled the words she had uttered to him the day before_. 'You wont like me this way.'_ He grinned to himself, caught between feeling inconvenienced and intrigued. "Did it not rain last night?" he added in. "It would be foolish to run off in the rain with nowhere to go." he remarked dryly. Ciel grunted, pondering on the line of reason that the neko thought she was following to so thoughtlessly break her word. If she had really vanished that is.

"Are you positively certain that she is gone?" The boy inquired. The servants here did have a habit for over reacting to certain scenarios after all.

"It is true! I went to fetch her when she did not come out of her room and found it empty with the windows opened!" Maylene informed with a saddened expression. "She didn't change into her uniform either!" Tanaka nodded with his own usual "Ho ho ho!" as if to confirm her statement. Finnian drooped with slumped shoulders but brightened right away.

"I don't think Miss Ivy would just leave without saying goodbye! Even if she did want to go!" He shook his head with two determined fists held up. "Maybe she was kidnapped!" Sebastian nearly laughed aloud but refrained. Preposterous that anybody would trespass without his knowledge. Only she had ever managed such a feat, thus if she left without his knowledge she must have left willingly. Even if somehow her pursuers came upon her so soon, Miss Ivy being the wild-eyed spitfire that she was would have made sounds amidst the struggling that would arouse the dead.

"Finni don't be ridiculous. Not a soul could kidnap any of US so easily. Least of all Ivy." Bard huffed genuinely affronted. "Maybe she really was a spy and had finally gotten what she came for… and made a quick break for it?" He offered his own ridiculous theory. Maylene seemed far too forlorn to come up with any explanations on her own. Tanaka… well it was difficult to ever really tell what the old man was thinking until he decided to speak. Though one could almost see the question mark over his head as though he himself wanted to speculate on where she could be and why.

"Miss Ivy can't be a spy. There has to be something else!" The young gardener insisted.

Meanwhile neither Ciel nor Sebastian heeded any of their rushed chattering and nonsense. The boy gave a knowing look and his butler understood. They turned to the three bickering servants and the old butler who stood beside them. Both cleared their throats to get their attention and they immediately went silent and darted their eyes in the young master's direction.

"Thank you for informing me of the situation. You may now go about your business." The young earl dismissed his rag tag household patiently. To be personally acknowledged by their young master always flustered the three of them, and so they sputtered their fervent thanks and 'no problems' in between awkward but genuine bows. Tanaka in the meantime paid them a stiff little bow and made his way out. Sebastian sighed before clapping his hands to snap the others out of it.

"Now, now that's enough. That wasn't a request, off with you all. I believe you have duties to attend to." He shooed them out, giving them their assignments in a clipped tone as he did so. "Bard must report me in on the inventory in the cellar today. Finnian, the hedges are looking droopy, its disgraceful, please do _some _pruning today –preferably without clipping the poor things to shreds-. Maylene, I expect the dusting in the main entrance to be finished quickly today so there is no time to waste for any of you." They all hurried from the room with their momentary bubbles successfully bursting from his jibes at them. It was apparent he and the young master needed to discuss what was to be done about the troublesome little minx.

He paid their downtrodden expressions no mind as he closed the doors behind them. Stiffly, he then turned to face his little master. Without waiting for his butler to make a remark he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am not certain just how worth this much trouble _one _girl could possibly be."

"It is not about 'one girl', my lord. It is about the reputation of the watchdog. Queen Victoria's London. Her majesty was clear with you in what she wished you to do, and so far our only hope of coming into contact with these… secondary demons just so happens to be one girl… one _half demon._" The butler lectured with impeccable logic. Ciel just grumbled and massaged his temples.

"To be honest the idea of a clan of demon folk making such a big fuss over a single Halfling seems rather far fetched." He huffed, pacing in thought.

"All the more reason to keep her with us at the manor, sir. Perhaps there is more to the story than we know. She herself admitted to being unable to fathom the idea that they would even bother with her to such an extent." Sebastian reasoned. "The decision is yours, my lord. I will do as you say." He bowed before him on one knee with a hand over his chest. Ciel stopped pacing to face him with a serious expression. Why did he feel like he was going to regret this? He rolled his eyes and spoke.

"I concur. You know what must be done then." He uttered dryly.

"She will resist." The butler responded with the utmost assurance. Even with his head bowed, the little earl could still see how immensely amused his expression was already. He scoffed.

"No doubt." The demon servant raised his gaze expectantly to the boy's. "Its an order." He responded firmly, sliding off his eye-patch in one fluid motion. "Bring the half-breed girl; Ivy to me by whatever means you must." His iris glowed eerily with the sign of his contract, a reminder that neither would be without. The corners of the demons mouth twitched upwards slightly and he lowered his head once more.

"Yes, My lord." With pleasure. Now he would have to make sure that the other servants were not destroying the household just yet. It was amazing just how soon disaster could actually strike around the Phantomhive manor. Better to be safe than sorry, and then he could be off.

….

If anybody had told Ivy putting across her point in this way was a bit overkill, she would have simply shrugged it off and said a few choice phrases to express how little she cared. Seeing as Ciel Phantomhive would never willingly go the extent of trying to see things her way of his own volition, she would just have to make him. Unfortunately the only way she saw him getting a reality check was through drastic actions like this one. Upon meeting Liam that day in the street, while he was carrying basket loads of apples by himself, she recalled that he had asked her to stop by anytime she wanted to have lunch with him and his family.

Now the first time he had told her of the idea, she had decided to ignore it since she did not like the idea of imposing on anybody's hospitality by surprise like that. What if she ended up coming at a bad time by accident? In this particular occasion though, it gave her a perfect singular opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. She would have made time to visit Liam, and she would show little mister smarty pants a thing or two about semantics. Not the mention the third option of getting back at him for kidnapping and disregarding her… and her wishes. After that idea entered her head, she decided that picking today to visit the kind Irish boy and his –probably wonderful- family.

Sneaking out of the manor was simple enough seeing as the others would never suspect that she would even have a reason to do so. Sebastian would be busy and prioritize the young master's morning routine before anything else. Besides, she was still a neko and thus not to be underestimated stealth wise. It was as she would say easy peasy, but it was when she was out that she realized she hadn't prepared for everything. Her ears drooped under the white cap she wore and she glared flatly at everything in her scope of vision. Great…in a rainstorm without an umbrella…literally. Who could have possibly been able to guess that it might possibly rain at this time of the season? When it was so cold out too. It was as if even the weather was against her and all of her motives, and was punishing her. Damn it did nothing go her way? Just one stroke of luck? Pleeeeaase!

"Is that, Miss Ivy?" A little voice piped as if to answer her plea. Green eyes lifted to the sight of an older woman with a care worn face… with a little red haired girl holding her hand. She eyed her curiously from her spot under her umbrella while the child at her side bounced excitedly to see her. "It is! Mummy its Liam's friend!" The neko girl smiled softly and a bit bashfully at them to be caught in such an embarrassing state. The lady smiled kindly at her and spoke.

"Is everything alright young miss?" …And the rest had been history.

Eating lunch with Liam's family was quite entertaining. They were a colorful and happy family. It was a shame that not everybody could have such a thing. They sat together, warmly discussing the day amongst one another. The mother of the house, Mrs. McCormack, had been nice enough to give her one of her own dresses. It was slightly big on her, but not noticeably so. The issue of her ears had been a rather close call but, for once she was prepared, tying a neat old scarf in her hair to effectively cover them. It had been a gift from a sweet chimney sweep one Christmas. This environment was most likely why Liam tended to have such a bright outlook on life.

He seemed so naïve to the neko girl. Sweet but naïve. His sister was a spitfire in the making, with a shock of red hair to match, and oh sugar and spice she was adorable! So odd it was to note that she was a mere three years or so younger than a certain boy with an eye-patch that she knew. The parents were an animated and affectionate couple, with an open generosity and hospitality that made Ivy feel like she already belonged among them.

"How do you like my wife's cooking?" Mr. McCormack asked with a jolly tone of voice. "Everything is delicious thank you." she smiled politely. It was good. Somewhere in the back of her mind however, she recalled that Sebastian's food could never be bested.

"Thank you again for allowing me to join you all today upon such short notice, to be honest I wasn't sure that it would be appropriate." She spoke to the older woman.

"Oh do not even speak of it, missy. Matter o' fact you should come whenever ya can, love." The mother woman smiled at the young girl at her table. "I love the idea of having another woman helping me out around the house now and again. Until Liam marries I do not think it a possibility I'm afraid."

"Mum!" Liam protested.

"Oh I'm sorry darling. It seems I embarrass Liam so easily lately." She shrugged sadly as she explained this to her guest. Ivy smiled despite herself. Normal families… were they all like this?

Old man McCormack stood up. "Please excuse me for a moment darling." He told his wife before leaving the table briefly. Possibly to the bathroom. There was a knock on the door just then that made her jump. How on earth had she missed that? Oh well.

"Now who could be knocking at this time of day? Odd." Liam noted.

"I'll get it! Please? I want to practice!" Cassie said in her usual vivacious eagerness, small hands clasped in appeal. The lot smiled at one another.

"Oh let her do it this time. Go on firefly." Her older brother motioned with a nod. She hurried to the door with a bright smile.

"Hallo! Welcome to the-! ...wow…" she breathed looking up at the visitor. "I mean! Welcome to the McCormack's residence." Still she continued to stare. He was so tall, and so handsome! With dark black hair and fathomless dark eyes that quickly enchanted the simple child. She blushed. "What can we do for you?" she managed. The man smiled politely down at her.

"Hello." he nodded. "Where is your mother?" he asked.

"Oh! Um…just a minute…I mean- uh…follow me please…Mummy!" she ran into the house. "There is a very handsome man here to talk to you." she was breathless when she reached her family.

"No running in the house Cassie." her mother scolded, noting her daughter's appearance. There was a rosy blush on her cheeks that the present parties quickly picked up on. Liam frowned curiously.

"I am sorry, but oh Mummy! Come and see him please!" she clasped her small hands in appeal. The older woman shook her head. Heaven help her when this girl became older and truly discovered her attraction to boys. She looked over at Ivy.

"I hope _you_ can be a better influence on her." She clicked her tongue in disapproval at her child's behavior. Ivy suddenly felt very uneasy and shifted in her seat.

"Pardon the intrusion." a smooth voice interrupted the chatter, scaring the living daylights out of all the residents but none as much as a certain half breed neko. She stiffened. Already? Damn it she had underestimated them, how would those two _vultures _even know where to look for her? "I am here on a very pressing matter I'm afraid." he nodded apologetically. Ivy whipped around in her seat with wild eyes, quickly calming herself down. "Hello, Miss Ivy." he greeted with a hidden smugness gleaming in his eyes. The thought begged repetition: How the hell did he find her so soon! Stalker.

"What do you want?" she demanded, surprising them all with her harshness. All except the black clad 'stranger'.

"Um…who is this?" Liam asked with his curious frown still in place. Sebastian merely gave him a skeptical once over with his eyes. Mrs. McCormack was not comfortable in this man's presence, always having a very strong sense of intuition. Liam just stared at the dark visitor feeling like he had seen him somewhere before, but not recognizing him at all.

Wanting to be all politeness, Ivy spoke up. "Oh, everybody, this is Sebastian Michaelis…he _was _my supervisor back at the manor." Ivy explained with a subtle grudging tone. Her eyes never left the butler's form. "What he is doing here however, I would really like to know seeing as I haven't done anything to breech the contract with our master." She stated lightly, the perfect picture of innocence despite her ire. Sebastian gave a 'polite' smile that only she could see through.

"I apologize, however I have been ordered to bring you back to the manor." He informed.

At this Ivy stiffened. She resented being treated like a child, but endured it seeing as there was a point here that she was trying to make.

The others in the house remained wisely silent. The behavior between this man and this young lady was obviously much more than they outwardly knew about. It was like they spoke silent volumes to one another with their eyes. "Why precisely is that?" she more demanded than asked as she got to her feet, folding her arms. Sebastian nodded to the seated family.

"I am afraid we have to discuss that at the manor. Or at least outside." he stated, giving them an apologetic expression Oh he was a splendid actor wasn't he? They stared each other down as if in a silent argument. "No need to involve separate parties unnecessarily is there?" He asked her meaningfully. Ivy narrowed her eyes at him for a while.

"Very well." she stated, finally agreeing. He was right, besides there would have been no other way to get rid of him anyway. "Let us make this quick then." She brushed past her archenemy with her chin held high. His eyes followed her out the door before he followed after her, pausing to look at the young man seated at the table once more.

Liam noticed him giving him another glance, and the butler arched an eyebrow allowing a very familiar critical look to cross his features. Liam blinked, feeling a bit cold for a moment. Sebastian then smiled at him and shut the door behind himself. 'What in the world was that?' Liam wondered to himself in silence.

"What is it?" Ivy sharply turned to face the demon once the door was shut. "Was the earl so unhappy that I left without notice that he wants you to bring me back for a sound lashing? Rather extreme isn't it? Why didn't he have the courtesy to come along himself?" She tapped her foot impatiently. Sebastian mock sighed. He wore a long black coat with double rows of crisp looking silver buttons. At the top of the coat was a high open collar that gave the article a bit more of that flair that was so definitive of Sebastian. It was a very nice coat and made Ivy think about lifting it one of these days for herself. Ha! As if she could get away with that, besides it was much too big. Maybe if she could find one in her size… his voice broke her out of her random train of thought.

"So impatient. It is as though we were never apart, wouldn't you agree?" he inquired. Ivy chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Are you only here to make fun of me?" she folded her arms.

"Miss Ivy. Would you like to tell me what possessed you to go prancing off with mortals while there is a manor to tend to?" He inquired. Oh dear, so it was a lecture. Ciel was a cruel master…cruel and unusual. She placed her hands on either side of her head a groaned.

"Mister Michaelis, if Earl Phantomhive really wanted to punish me so badly, a few rounds on the iron maiden would probably be more merciful than this. Don't lecture me! I finished my chores-"

"Which you will be re-doing once we return, I'm sure you're aware." He interrupted. "This is both irrational and irresponsible-"

"Give a lady a break, damn you! There you go again!" She covered her ears and screwed her eyes shut.

"I'm assuming you weren't trying to run away." He commented dryly, frowning down at her. No, she couldn't have been or else she would not have stopped for so long at a place so near to the manor itself. At this she huffed and postured, folding her arms with a 'you don't say!' sort of expression. Such bravery the fox sees in his cornered little rabbit.

"Thank you, oh great genius master of deduction." She clapped. "Of course not! I was only coming here to eat lunch with Liam and then come right back, I'm sure if the servants hadn't noticed I was missing this morning that I would have been back before you even realized I'd left! Besides, where-…where would I even go! Certainly nowhere so close by!" Wisely she took a step or two back from him and he smirked as he advanced just a little.

"You." He began and -before the little neko could blink- was suddenly very close, too close. Wide eyes blinked in numb surprise. "…You are a very rude little girl. Shall I be the one to teach you manners? Would you like that?" He murmured, tilting his head and she could feel his bangs tickling her brow. Looking him dead in the eye she steadied herself and held her ground.

"Ew, please tell me that is a death threat, Mister Michaelis. I would really like that to be a death threat… or a torture threat… one of the two." Her expression was perfectly impenetrable. Keeping a chuckled at bay, he just smirked wider.

"As opposed to what option, little one?" He asked and Ivy's eyes faltered. Son of a motherless goat! She had walked right into that little trap hadn't she? No response, no response. Smacking herself in the forehead, she chewed on the inside of her bottom lip in self-loathing and nodded a few times at her own lameness. Good job, Ivy, good job. All in a day's work for Sebastian's favorite psychological punching bag.

"Never mind you greasy, sulfur born, ass monkey. We aren't talking about this." She spat in a harsh, defeated growl crossed with a huff.

"What are we talking about?"

"Ciel Phantomhive and his lack of consideration-"

"You are a servant. Therefore your main obligation is the state of the manor and its occupants, especially the master."

"I myself never agreed to be an official member of the household. I am a 'temporary' and 'fake' member. He said that labeling me as a maid in his household would be my cover, meaning therefore I am NOT REALLY his servant." A serene smile of amused understanding came upon the demons face as he stood upright and folded his arms, looking down at her.

"Ah, I can see what you're doing. Unfortunately for you it is irrelevant to the young master's orders to me. If you truly want to discuss this, you must do so with him."

"Then why is he not here?" She folded her arms once again to match his posture, though she would probably never look as impressive doing it as he did.

"Matters pertaining to the duties of the master of Phantomhive are not shared with those who aren't officially of the household." He turned her words around on him. Ivy then and there fantasized about pulling a lever to open a trap door with fangs that would be under the butler, and watching it swallow him. "All that matters between you and I is a simple question, the options of which you can only choose once. Will you come willingly or not?" It was a simple enough question and therefore deserved a simple enough response.

"No." She stated firmly, sticking her nose in the air, her tone final. "I'm not finished eating yet, and I would have to change out of Mrs. McCormack's dress first. You're welcome to stand outside here like a puppy dog and wait for me to finish. Or you can just go home and tell the Earl that I'm coming back-" The girl was interrupted as she turned around to go back inside when her wrist was caught firmly. Her eyes popped and she stumbled slightly back. Sebastian chuckled.

"Miss Ivy, unfortunately for you, my orders were not those of a messenger boy." he said, turning her to face him. She pulled at her arm angrily. Sebastian was in no mood for games however. When he had checked on the servants there was complete pandemonium once again. It seemed that after Miss Ivy had gone that they went back to the full degree of destruction. After having it suppressed for the most part for an entire week, to the demon it was like rediscovering their stupidity for the first time.

"Let go." she struggled. He ignored her and continued.

"In fact. To me they sounded more akin to that of a…hmm…postman I would say." She growled and before she could respond she was hoisted off of her feet with a shocked cry. The demon easily grasped her in his arms bridal style, carrying her off. She wriggled violently the whole time.

"Kyyaahhh!" she shrieked. There was nothing she hated more than being man handled. "You bastard! At least wait a moment! My things-!"

"Are right here." he held up her bag much to her shock.

"I am not going!" she shouted kicking her legs, pushing against his chest for more distance between them, which counted for very little. Her posture rigid and awkward in his arms due to the uncomfortable proximity. He made no response. "Stop ignoring me! Let GO!" she slapped at him repeatedly. Even if she did leave of her own volition it would be rude not to apologize and bid the family she had been staying with farewell. "Stop it!" she arched her back in frustration.

"Please do not cause a scene." he said calmly. He looked quite pleased with himself and it made her want to kill him all the more. Like hell she would stop.

"Put me down, you filthy bugger!" People were honestly shocked by the scene before them. What exactly was going on with those two? "Let go of me! Let GO OF ME!" she fought fruitlessly.

"Is everything alright here, young miss?" A cautious old lady asked wanting to keep up the peace. Sebastian looked over his shoulder at the woman. Ivy snarled at him, still wiggling all the while.

"N-!"

"Excuse me. I deeply apologize." he turned to her with one of his charming smiles. "It pains me to cause such a scene but you see my wife needs to go home to take her medication otherwise she has fits like this." he 'explained'. Ivy gasped in indignation. Eyes wide.

"WHY YOU LYING SON OF A-!"

"You see? Her mind has been waning but I have not the heart to institutionalize her with the way asylums are run these days. She is harmless really but her memory escapes her. We were married last year darling." he 'reminded' her. He brushed disheveled hair from her face and she violently smacked away his hand. He gave a fake sigh and looked at the elderly woman meaningfully. She was obviously charmed and won over by his beautiful face. The woman nodded in understanding.

"Ahh, I see. Say no more young man. I myself care for my own husband at home. You are a devoted husband and I commend you for it." she smiled with approval. "In any case you do make a lovely couple." she consoled. It was clear that the demon was trying not to laugh. Ivy attacked him again.

"ARGH! THIS IS WHY I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" she screamed. He restrained her gently and firmly. He gave a sigh and shook his head. The old woman was actually buying his story and it was driving Ivy insane. "Please! _He_ is the crazy one! We were never married! EVER! As if he could even understand such a concept! I would sooner be married to a-oop!" He gave her a shake as if getting a proper grip on her.

"As you can see she is quite animated already. I have to get her home. Excuse me. She is getting heavy." He turned back around, swinging her about. "Oh!" She let out a yelp. He grinned to himself as she fisted his jacket to keep from falling, despite his firm grip on her.

"Good luck and take care of her!" the woman called after the 'couple'. Ivy growled and pulled at her hair in frustration once again.

"Why do you always, _always_ have to get your way?" she snapped at him. It seemed that she just could not win with his monster. Well this time she had Ciel to blame for it. Girls swooned at him as the pair passed and she resisted her urge to hiss at them, instead giving an icy glare in their direction. Could they be any more disrespectful? He smirked at her.

"We are not getting offended at the antics of some typical adolescent girls are we, little one?" he inquired. She sucked her teeth at him.

"Do not be ridiculous, Mister Michaels. They are getting on my nerves because they do not know the real you and yet they are absolutely mad for you. Completely taken in by this _obvious_ charade of yours. Also, what kind of girl thinks it perfectly alright to openly make eyes at a woman's 'husband' when she is right there?" she muttered. "I have no respect for such a thing. At least have the decency to respect my presence." She ranted. He scoffed.

"We are not married." he reminded with a grin.

"A fact for which I most ardently thank all manner of deity out there for, however _they_ do not know that, therefore they still fit into such a category. It is a principle." she shrugged curtly. He smirked at this. Ah, so it was more an issue of feminine pride that vexed her.

"Anyway marriage is not a concept that I can say that I look forward to exactly. Any human out there that I could interest would never live long enough for me, and demons? Hahaha! Demons do not marry, who would want to marry one anyway? Quite frankly I find marriage meaningless for somebody who lives as long as I do anyway. I think one could easily consider a marriage certificate longer than a thousand years old quite useless. Wouldn't you have to get married every generation or two just to keep it valid?" she laughed to herself at the idea. "Too much trouble, even if I had a suitable companion. I can understand the concept of having only one to care for but, 'marriage' simply does not work for somebody who has eternity. Besides…I doubt fornication is a term that means anything to demons." she shrugged.

Upon noting that she had just unknowingly begun to open up to the worse creature within miles of her she went silent. He simply let a smirk tug at his lips slightly. "You know, you can put me down. I swear I will not run." she muttered.

"No." he smiled mockingly. "You are too late. I do not want to." he continued walking, pretending not to notice her extremely perturbed gape.

"Mister Michaelis! This is a violation of my personal space! Put me down right now!" she shouted struggling.

He scoffed at her again. "You can keep shouting if you like I'm curious to see just how much more your lungs can take." he stated dryly. Ivy wanted him dead. Very badly once again. This was going to be a long walk.

….

Ciel sat in his office patiently waiting for his butler to arrive with his quarrelsome troublemaking maid in tow. He sipped his tea nonchalantly as the sound of shouting finally began to echo down the halls of the manor. Ah that had been quicker than he thought it would. Said shouts became clearer and clearer as the sound of footsteps made themselves known, deliberately approaching the office doors. The doors were pushed open revealing a dutiful smiling butler with an angry bundle of lace and limbs in his arms shouting the end of what sounded like quite a tirade from what he could hear.

"..-THEN BOIL THEM IN TAR, SET THEM ON FIRE, AND STOMP ON THEM, AND THEN WE WILL SEE IF THEY CAN STILL RECOGNIZE YOUR PRETTY FACE YOU BLOODY SCHMUCK-OOF!" she was dropped unceremoniously onto her backside by a smirking demon. "Ow!" she protested, glaring up at him from her spot on the floor. Sebastian shrugged.

"You were asking me to drop you." he reminded. She pursed her lips about to scream at him again until the child distracted her.

"I see you are as much yourself as ever, Miss Ivy." Ciel spoke up. She looked at him flatly. She stood back up dusting herself off and smoothing out her dress, making a mental note to return to the house after this was over, or at least return the dress to it's owner.

"Earl Phantomhive." she nodded calmly. "Is there a reason why you sent your ogre- I mean butler to kidnap me this fine afternoon? Of all the ways to get me here why him? Cruel. Truly. I did not take you to be _that_ much of a little hob goblin." she asked, her voice was weary and more than annoyed from the ordeal she had just suffered. Ciel placed his teacup down on the saucer, interlaced his fingers under his nose, and closed his eyes briefly as though deliberately prolonging the silence before finally deciding to reply.

"Common sense answers any questions you might have for being brought back here after your ridiculous display of behavior." He told her, with apparently no desire to play along with her. 'Shame.' She thought sarcastically to herself.

"My Lord, let me review a thing or two on the record of lovely dysfunction and general grievances that I have endured while under your tiny –but iron- fist from the day we met and onward. Up until now I have been kidnapped, chased down the streets of London like a common thieving street urchin until I was tackled, insulted, belittled, disregarded, humiliated, bullied, used as bait –without my knowledge-, and now most recently the terms of agreement to my stay in the first place according to how I perceived them have been undermined thus shattering all feelings of security I may have originally had." She recited her monologue as calmly as was possible. "It is safe to say that I have had a fairly long suffering threshold for the abuse that I have taken. You can't fault me for no longer respecting your wishes, seeing as you have absolutely no respect for mine clearly."

Ciel twitched. "Explain this to me." He ordered sternly.

"Explain what?" She was as coy as ever. "I think I've made myself clear."

"No." He narrowed his one visible eye. "I mean am I going to have to lock you up in the cellar until these creatures arrive and are dealt with? Or are you actually going to act in accordance to our agreement?" Wow, this boy could've been a crooked lawyer in a past life. It was obvious the looming demon in the room was highly entertained by all of this, so Ivy was pretty sure it was pointless to even take note that he was still in the room.

"I never broke our agreement. You said nothing about needing permission to visit a new friend for lunch. I would've come back right after eating."

"As a servant-"

"You never officially asked me to be your servant, you said I would be _posing _as your servant, therefore the rules of a scullery maid technically do not apply to me." There was a snort in the background and the boy's eye twitched.

"Never the less by committing the acts that you have, you jeopardize your cover, besides I only assumed you were clever enough not to risk being all alone with demonic agents sniffing about for you. Not to mention endangering the safety of humans."

"My behavior is responsive to how I am treated. If you decide to treat me like a dim witted, irate, and untrustworthy child, then I will show you just what that really is. Besides… why would_ I_ be so clever? I thought I was naïve and ignorant." There really should not be so much joy in driving a twelve year old to the profoundest depths of rage and insanity but holy shit on a cracker did it feel good. Ciel blinked astonished and NOT happy.

"You-…" He looked down and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I told you before that you did not want to argue semantics with me, and I also warned you in our original terms of agreement that I was perfectly willing to show you my definition of uncooperative. I also distinctly remembered adding that I would not be held responsible for any trouble my stay here will cause you, blame only yourself." Earl Phantomhive suddenly seemed surprisingly calm.

"I see now that this was an obnoxious effort to make a point."

"Has it worked?"

Ciel gave her a look before responding. "I am debating whether or not to simply lock you in the cellar to ensure your continued cooperation."

"Mmm. Not a good idea. You don't want me down there, cause I'd tear the place apart." She shook her head and folded her arms.

"Do you expect an apology then?"

"No. I expect a respectful agreement that neither of us will screw each other over with." She said honestly. "I only want to be able to trust you, considering you're right. This offer is a perfect opportunity to ensure a permanent resolution to this problem of mine." Ivy was aware that she could not really get rid of these pursuers of hers on her own. "You understand that if I'm caught, it could only mean a fate worse than death." The boy gave a grunt.

"Your behavior has been most infamous." Ciel remarked.

"I apologize for that, but you haven't seen the worst of it." She responded in kind. The child gave a dry laugh at her honesty and Ivy internally wondered how someone so small and young could have a spirit so very…_old. _As she watched him in his expressions and mannerisms, thinking he must have had such a passionate and impressionable soul. For nobody could have been so bitterly disappointed in life, to be so jaded, without once having a profound capacity to love and dream once upon a time.

"Sebastian told me you had a problem with authority, I didn't assume it would be so very dreadful." He even spoke like a stuffy middle-aged nobleman. Always so serious and eloquent.

"Do you plan on flogging me? Or will it be hot oil, or some other punishment of a more creative kind, like the Spanish inquisition? Oh! I got it! You're going to haul me off to the iron maiden! How fitting for an angry shrew like me." She teased, making Ciel blink at her twice and then look at his butler who simply shrugged with an innocent smile. He was doomed to be surrounded by the clinically insane forever wasn't he? Never a dull day in the Phantomhive Manor, eh?

"Enough, Miss Ivy. Lets be frank with one another. Are we going to have to renegotiate? Or can I trust you to be grown up finally?"

"I already told you everything I needed to, now it's _your _move, Earl. You tell me what it is you require from this newly born symbiotic relationship of sorts. Between you and I, Ciel the highborn Earl of Phantomhive, and Ivy the half breed." She waited expectantly to see how the boy would handle it. Ciel's posture straightened confidently, she had to hand it to him, he definitely had no insecurities where managing his business was concerned. His small frame stood to its full –albeit unimpressive- height and he held out a ringed hand for her to shake.

"Miss Ivy… 'the half breed'." He responded with a touch of humor in his voice. "I want you to stay, as my servant." Mint green eyes flitted down to gaze at his offered appendage.

"So long as we can put this chaos behind us and actually make an effort to help one another. No more stepping on each others toes, or tiptoeing between the eggshells of technicality." She stated, and he nodded. With one last calculating look she nodded as well. "I will." Sebastian watched the exchange with silent intrigue when they shook hands. Well, it now seemed as though they had finally come to more of an understanding, these two prickly little hedgehogs.

"Welcome back to the Phantomhive manor, Miss Ivy." Ivy still could not help but feel like she had sold her soul for a baggie of magic beans, but it would pass. It was not like she had a better option. This was going to be quite a stay.

"I am happy to be back Earl." She curtsied calmly. She exchanged a dark glance with the demon beside her as if accepting a challenge. Well this was certainly becoming interesting.

* * *

Author's Note: ZOMG CHRISTMAS COOKIES! Damn the holidays got here so fast. I had much to say before that I can't recall at the moment cause I'm up waaaay past my biological bedtime, again. Anyway FINALLY! Its done! Now I can just go ahead and clean up a few minor details within the next two or three chapters and I'll be gold. All shall be up and running once again. Just a random note… the manga's boarding school arc thing is feeling so drawn out u_u. I thought the Campania arc was drawn out but it turns out I was utterly mistaken hahaha. Anyhow as I said I can't really remember anything I wanted to say so if you have questions feel free to ask. Hope you guys were entertained.


	12. That Maid, Bounce Back

Author's Note: Alrighty theeeen! Neeext! I am happy to say that the holidays are officially here…aside from being swamped with cooking and decorating of course xD but that's all a part of it. I don't mind so much…cause I looooove to eat :D. (Speaking of which I am happy with all of my cookies. *floating on cookie high*) Even if the family can be extremely annoying. Yummerz. One downside is that I nearly lost an eye due to somebody leaving a glass tray on the stove. Then my dad didn't watch what he was doing and turned said stove on. The thing exploded! Glass shards everywhere, and If I hadn't been so quick I would have lost my right eye u_u. Alright so let's see how things are going in the manor…and other places now shall we? Aww yeah. Muahahaha. I hope this chappie is much enjoyed. Have fun. Ciao!

Disclaimer: ….Okay…you know what? This is getting very old. I-Own-Nothing. Except for the obvious stuff. Like the people you will never see in the manga, anime, or musical lmso. Sooooo…..READ!

**Chapter Thirteen: That Maid, Bounce Back**

"_Said I was beautiful, did he? He's being paid for treatment, not flattery." _-Lillie Langtry

Sebastian chuckled upon noticing that as soon as he and the newest maid exited the office she began fast walking away from him immediately. Her nose in the air. He easily appeared in front of her, blocking her path. She stopped walking mechanically with little emotion and stared blankly at him like the doll she so resembled, folding her arms. "Is there a problem?" He asked with his usual polite façade. She pushed him aside and kept walking. That would not do. The game could only stop when he decided. He moved in front of her a second this time and she let out a breath.

"My problem is that you exist." she muttered through gritted teeth. He only smirked in response and she took a few steps away from him with a warning glare. "I swear Mister Michaelis…if you put your hands on me I will-!" She cut herself off and counted to ten before speaking again. "…I have had quite enough physical contact from you to last me for the rest of my eternity… back-off." she held up a finger, her voice dark. He laughed at her. _'Of all the cocky, self centered…urrgh!' _She growled internally. The last thing she wanted to do was feed the ego of this horrible beast standing before her.

"Do I not owe the lady an apology, after all of today's… excitement?" He tilted his head. Minty green orbs narrowed themselves at him.

"Excitement. You put it so delicately. Is that a genuine inquiry?" The neko retorted sarcastically. Stepping forward, she poked him in the chest "Listen here, I could care less if you apologize for being yourself as usual because you are NOT forgiven EVER." she hissed, placing her hands on her hips and stomping her foot on the tiled floor. When she had venom for someone she certainly did it with all of her might. Yet if she was fond of you she was sweeter than nectar. So her feelings were always something truly powerful and deep. A capacity to hate as profound as her capacity to love. Humans truly were interesting…but the butler was curious to know where her human side ended and the neko began. "Stop staring!" she shouted, hugging herself.

"There is no need to be so jumpy Miss Ivy. What could I possibly do to harm you now?" he asked coyly. She chewed the inside of her lip angrily. You could die from such a man.

"Physically? Nothing serious. However I am certain that you could find a way. In any case, bullying is bullying whether it be psychological or physical, and I know that you of all people are perfectly aware of that. I stopped being frightened of you already. You annoy more than anything else now so…I am not entirely certain what it is about you that has me frightened yet…but it is not you yourself I suppose." she scrutinized him. "Something in your presence is making me uncomfortable and whatever it is…I do wish you would stop it." She told him in all honesty.

"Never the less, as my master's servant I must apologize either way." He reached out and she reeled back sharply. In response the demon chuckled, relenting. "I thought you should be aware that you have a spider in your hair." he told her simply. Ivy let out a yelp and killed the offending arachnid without a second thought. When he raised an eyebrow at her hurried reaction she blushed in embarrassment before clearing her throat.

"Thank you…. good afternoon then." she walked away muttering under her breath. There was the slightest of smirks on the demon butler's face as he watched her walk away, looking quite flustered. Just how he liked it. The neko girl had decided to herself that she was going to be staying away from the butler of Phantomhive as much as she could…however…Sebastian had other ideas forming in his dark mind.

"MISS IVY!" A certain group of servants charged in out of nowhere and tackled the poor half neko before even she could react. Oh bugger. "We thought you were gone for good!" Finnian's eyes were glassy.

"You just left without saying a real goodbye! None of this running off in the night/early morning crap!" Bard protested, genuinely offended. Maylene just blubbered on about how much she had already missed Ivy's help. Ivy just rolled her eyes and let out a sigh as she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose from her position on the floor. 'Ow…' she groaned internally. Sebastian walked over and towered over the pile of limbs on the floor serenely.

"Yes, yes we are all quite pleased to see Miss Ivy back so soon. Are you going to crush the life out of her or get back to your duties?" he demanded. They blinked at him and he glared impatiently. At this they all scrambled to their feet apologizing profusely before running off to do their chores. In the meantime Ivy got to her feet stoically and dusted off her skirts. "You should change back into your uniform, Miss Ivy." He informed her dutifully, making her feel all the more like a child who'd been caught sneaking out.

For a moment she looked down at the borrowed dress she wore, and with an evil glare she looked him dead in the eye, reminded of how humiliated she had been in that town earlier today. "Always a treat to hear the obvious stated." she responded waspishly. She curtly turned around and quickly stalked off. Ah yes there was that little angry bounce that her walk sported whenever she was just recently perturbed "I'm not going to comment, you're a menace to society and nothing utterly abnormal and scary that you do should ever even surprise me anymore."

Sebastian decided that he was quite fond of his new means for entertainment.

"How much more do you know?" He asked, folding his arms and waiting for a reaction. Her pace slowed and she stopped with one foot still in front of the other to peer over her shoulder suspiciously.

"Um… I beg your unnecessarily-cryptic-because-I'm-a-creepy-bastard -with-no-real-social-skills-who-needs-to-feel-cool er-than-he-actually-is-by-using-unclear-language-t o-make-me-look-all-mysterious-when-I'm-actually-ju st-essentially-an-evil-hell-monkey-bastard pardon?" She asked in genuine annoyance at his habit of making her feel uncomfortable all the damn time. He just gave his usual plastic smile in response.

"Perhaps it should be no surprise that your mother would have taught you a few tricks of the trade, your knowledge on the names of half breeds like yourself has me quite curious as to the rest of your knowledge of your clan and the demon realm." He stated bluntly. Both he and the young neko girl were perfectly aware that nobody was around to over hear such wild, strange talk thus speaking freely of their true natures was perfectly safe. Ivy's once tense shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. "You were separated from her when you were still small after all." He pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. Essentially, I was first and foremost taught anything that could aid my immediate survival. This includes any of the few rules that are in my favor. Being so weak compared to most demons means I must know how to use my wit, but every bit of useful theoretical knowledge gives me one more tool to work with."

"Such as?" Ivy decided to ignore the wicked quirk of his lip. She quickly pivoted to face him.

"You ask far too many questions to be healthy, did you know that? One of these days you're going to stick that pointy nose of yours in the wrong door, and somebody is going to slam it. Then you'll be a noseless freak, and you'll realize finally, that you aren't as socially adept as you think you are when you no longer have the looks to conceal the fact –not even from stupid girls- that if you really analyzed your methods of 'charm' and 'seduction' that you actually show all the warning signs of a mentally unstable, shifty, serial killer/ potential rapist. ITS NOT ATTRACTIVE. ITS SCARY. Then I'll be laughing." Well that was certainly a tangent.

"You know… meditation is said to be quite effective against irrational bouts of temper." He commented. "Or perhaps just heavy sedatives." Large eyes regarded him with utter disbelief that anybody could have that level of douchebaggery flowing through their veins. Could that much douche really fit into one body? Even his? "It is also said that excessive aggression is a sign of possibly repressed-"

"Oh. My. God. You shut that hole in your face right now you pompous **_bastard_**." Ivy warned not wanting to hear another word. The butler laughed.

…..

"Tell me again why I still have not killed you yet?" A young neko once again snapped at the group of fellow demons from his clan working with him. He was in a terrible humor and every little thing had been setting him off.

It all started when he was forced to cooperate with scum the likes of his current tracker. Only the biggest thorn in his side since the two of them were children growing up in the two most competitive families of their clan. Their combined efforts were tense at best during the entire trip, but he had maintained his grace and usual temperament.

Then came the ordeal with that last orphanage that they had been to. He recalled the rude, vile woman in charge of that place who had left such a horrible taste in his mouth from her behavior that he had slaughtered her on the spot after learning what she had done, along with the other witches working with her. Then as a result there was such a huge commotion with the children that he snapped toward the little brats as well. Quick and painless of course. Now he had the most wretched headache and absolutely no leads to go on because his idiot men had burned the place down to hide every trace of evidence.

Then once again there was the issue of the Ashcroft bastard, who had simply stood around and allowed them to do it. He grinned and shrugged with a simple. "_I'm your lead tracker, not your baby sitter."_ He gritted his teeth together, watching him pace about awaiting his mysterious wingman's arrival. The nerve scraping sound of the useless scout kept interrupting his train of thought if that wasn't enough.

"Young Lord. I simply say this because we may have alarmed the authorities far too much with this act. The normal police as well as the underground are sticking their noses in this and we-"

"Must maintain some level of secrecy? Please…you sound a lot like my father. What do I care about the human authorities? They are about as competent and dangerous as a marshmallow plant with Down syndrome. As for the underground…ha ha ha! Why are you warning me about the queen's watchdogs? Why do you not simply tell the Italian mafia to watch out for the penguin police? They are _humans _remember that. Completely harmless to us." The young man spat flatly. The others wisely remained silent. "Your paranoia has cost me valuable information." He hissed darkly.

"All is not lost sir. We still have the skills of our clans finest tracker at our disposal." The young leader gave a livid hiss at the compliment paid to his long time adversary.

"Remember of what you speak." He snarled. "He was born of _them _and I am still not prepared to place such trust in him, or whoever it is he has contacted." His older subordinate peered over to where said tracker remained, isolated from the group before speaking up **again.**

"Why do we not simply inform your father-"

In an instant the unfortunate older neko was stricken to the ground with the heel of a boot digging into his throat. "Never mention bringing my father into this ever again." he snarled. "I can manage without him…and he will learn this. If we tell him now he will likely deem me incompetent and force me back home no doubt." He stared ahead distantly now with a look of disgust on his face before kicking the writhing neko away from him. "He might leave it all to _him. _Now do as I say and return to that site and root through the burnt rubble for anything useful. Then return to me afterwards." He repeated his command sternly. "And you had better hope that I get a decent lead." He added darkly. All present parties respectfully obeyed.

…..

Almost nightfall and Ivy had snuck out one last time. No she had not planned on running off to be a menace nor did she want to push boundaries with the Phantomhive mini man, she was just going to apologize to Liam and to his family for earlier that day and return Mrs. McCormack's dress to her. That was all. So there she stood in front of their doorstep biting her lip. She was trying to find some way to explain why she had been unceremoniously dragged back to the manor and why she had ignored a very strict social rule by running off in the first place. She raised her fist to knock several times before she would sigh and chicken out. Eventually she threw caution to the wind and softly rapped on the door three times.

There was the sound of scuffling before the door was opened by Mr. McCormack this time. "Miss Ivy!" He said astounded. "You are alright aren't ya? When Cassie ran around weeping saying that the handsome man had kidnapped you I nearly went out of my wits with worry, and Liam looked extremely guilty. He said that the man was your…supervisor?" he inquired. Ivy tried not to laugh. She did feel guilty for making them worry after all.

"I am perfectly well I assure you." She shook her head. "Mister Michaelis is just a very difficult, duty bound, and down right insufferable creature is all." She rolled her eyes. "I'm certain that you could tell from the interlude we had earlier today that he and I do not get on as civilized human beings should." She made a regretful face. The old man nodded.

"Well I did not see anything…but the wife says that she did not like the look of him, she's always been great with these things… I'm just glad you are okay." he scratched the back of his head. There was a loud high-pitched voice wafting from inside the house before the little red headed Cassie burst out of the door and hugged Ivy's legs tightly. Tears in her little eyes.

"Miss Ivy!" she wailed. "I am so, so sorry that I let that man into the house!" The little girl continued to blubber into Ivy's uniform skirt. Green eyes blinked down at the little creature before Ivy shook her head and sighed. Liam suddenly burst out of the door in a similar although more mature fashion and seemed very relieved to see the young lady he had met at his father's bakery perfectly fine. She pet little Cassie's head resignedly.

"Good to see all is well." he nodded to her breathlessly. She nodded back.

"I've come to return the dress your mother loaned me." she smiled politely. He smiled back. Cassie was still hugging her legs. "Look Cassie. I'm okay see? That man was just a big block head, he can't hurt me." she laughed for her sake. The little girl smiled through teary eyes. Ivy laughed. "Anyway I am sorry for all of the trouble I caused you…there are certain…circumstances back at that manor that us servants can't be too loose lipped about." She told them. They nodded.

Before another word could be spoken, Mrs. McCormack soon pushed aside her husband and son, chattering loudly in an indecipherable thick Irish dialect. "Ivy! Oh Ivy darling! You are alright? That savage! Did he hurt you? You can tell me the truth. What did he touch? I ought to tag his hide." The older woman searched her up and down as she chattered, clucking like an angry hen. Not even leaving her any room for reply or to give assurance that she was perfectly fine. Ivy let out an exasperated sigh. She did not like being fussed over very much. Her mother hardly did it. Finally she caught herself an opening.

"Mrs. McCormack. I assure you that I have not been physically harmed, nor have I been violated. Such a thing wouldn't be tolerated in the Phantomhive household." Ivy laughed a bit, touched by the woman's concern nonetheless. Such an empathetic woman. She was happy to know another being of the female persuasion that was not won over by Sebastian's devastatingly good looks. Even Maylene -though she loved her to death- had it pretty badly for the dashing butler. "I will be missed at the manor if I don't get moving, so I'd best be on my way." She shrugged awkwardly. She handed the neatly folded bundle of fabric to the woman. "Thank you once again for showing me such kindness." she nodded calmly and sincerely.

"Are you sure you are alright lovey?" she asked one last time. Ivy nodded once again.

"Perfectly. Um…perhaps I shall see you around again sometime soon then." she smiled cheerfully before waving and walking away.

"Bye Miss Ivy!" Cassie called after her, waving frantically. Ivy waved back to the girl from over her shoulder. The family closed the door and went back about their business once again after a few soft murmurs. Ivy made it down the street a couple of blocks before it began pouring rain. She stiffened, ears falling flat against the back of her head. A few mutterings of profanity flew from her lips as she refused to turn back. She would not take advantage of their hospitality again or risk Sebastian showing up again. The young neko pushed forward angrily, arm folded to keep in her natural body warmth.

"Damn sky must really hate me." she growled. She began to shiver a bit without realizing it. To her utter surprise however the rain stopped hitting her as the sudden whoosh of an umbrella opening above her head met her ears. She blinked in surprise up at the black shape, and even more so at the one holding it over her head. Sebastian's tall form towered over her as per usual. A stoic yet disapproving expression gracing his features. "S- Mister Michaelis…why are you-?"

"Is this going to become habitual, Miss Ivy?" he inquired. She glared at him and pouted. "You look dreadful." he stated scrutinizing the soaking wet female. "The young master would not approve of you sneaking off without telling us at random intervals. You and the young master do have an agreement after all." He was scolding her. Oh boy. Ivy rolled her eyes.

"You aren't going to tattle on me are you? If I had been running away I would not have come back here, and I apologize, however it was you who refused when I said I wanted to go return the dress, you said you would do it, but I wanted to do it myself seeing as it was more appropriate and polite for me to do so. I wasn't rebelling against the young master, I was rebelling against you, and your talent of isolating us from the rest of the world." Was it getting colder or was it just her? "Anyway, thank you for the umbrella." she said curtly reaching for it. He drew it away from her grasp with a smirk. "What?" She folded her arms again, her face demanding an explanation. "You are not going to carry me again are you?" She groaned.

"I myself am in no mood to soak my uniform, Miss Ivy, and you are far too short to hold the umbrella over the both of us." he said with a serene smile, his eyes shut. Ivy scoffed rather loudly, ringing out her skirt absently.

"You expect me to be perfectly alright with sharing an umbrella with _you?_" Her voice was completely devoid of emotion. Needless to say she did not feel very keen on the idea.

"It is only logical that both of us share to remain dry….well…as dry as possible I suppose." He eyed her already drenched appearance. "Not to worry Miss Ivy, I do not bite." The demon butler seemed completely jolly about the whole situation. She huffed with dry, sarcastic amusement.

"That, I believe… is yet to be determined, Mister Michaelis." Was her sardonic reply. "You could have brought a spare, 'oh great, ever prepared, butler of Phantomhive'." she pointed out. He smirked again at this.

"Oh dear, I must have forgotten the second one this time." He was baiting her to lose her temper again. She would not let him. An icy glare was all he was getting out of her this time. "You are just going to have to let go of your disdain for a little while then I suppose. Come along…you're trembling like a leaf. A hot bath perhaps. The young master would not want you to catch something." he motioned for her to follow. He really did seem genuinely concerned at that point. Ivy was cold and wet and would not refuse the gesture.

"You truly do know how to ruin every nice deed that you might commit don't you?" She huffed, following after him. To keep up with his long strides she found herself linking her arms around one of his. Besides, he was so warm compared to the chilly wind and water. He only gave her a brief glance before continuing on. She was extremely grateful that he did not take that opportunity to start teasing her again. It was getting late, but there most definitely were people out in the street.

"Am I still not forgiven?" he teased once again.

"Shut up, no talking. This is awkward enough as it is." she retorted with a mildly annoyed grunt. Mostly she was trying not to laugh. The cold must have been getting to her. Sebastian began to snicker and Ivy looked to realize that a certain old woman was leading her husband along in the same manner, waving cheerfully at them. Ivy punched his arm. "This is all your fault!" she then sulked.

"No, I think you'll find its yours, Miss Ivy. If you had simply allowed _me _to-"

"ZIP your HOWLING SCREAMER! I am not your two-year-old daughter, and you are not my mother! Why are you even following me? WHY?"

"There is no need to cause a scene, little one." He admonished lightly, poking her nose. She slapped away his offending hand.

Anybody who spied the pair could have easily mistaken them for an affectionate couple. Even the young Irishman who had hurriedly come out with an extra umbrella for a certain young girl, looked on with a slightly confused frown.

….

Ivy felt extremely cozy now that she was in her dry toasty nightgown. In her hands was a wet bundle of cloth that was her uniform. She would need to have it crisp and dry for the next morning. So she decided to take care of it before she went to sleep. Just as she exited her room, the wet uniform was lifted from her hands. "I believe I can take care of that much quicker."

If Ivy was surprised by his presence she did not show it. "Is there a reason that you are lurking in the hall, waiting for me to come out with my uniform?" she inquired. Sebastian chuckled.

"I take it you still resent being carted back to the manor like a child, today." he remarked.

"Twice actually. I am eighteen years old Mister Michaelis, I do not need a babysitter, what are you my governess? And yes I am still angry, however that does not mean I have treated you differently because of it, I just plain do not like you. Also…I can wash and dry off a simple dress on my own. I am in no need of assistance. If I took care of over fifty younger girls on my own I can handle my own laundry. I am also still pissed off that you hit me with-"

"Bear my children."

"EH?"

"You are right…that really is an effective method." He remarked dryly, stroking his chin. "However I would not recommend it for just any situation or individual, it comes with its risks and exceptions." Ivy was pale, her eye twitched. Her arms slid up to hug herself. What a horrible thought. Also, not only had he turned her own method around on her, but it had been even more effective on his part than it had been when she tried it on him! The dashing butler seemed to find her expression quite entertaining by the smirk he now sported.

"Never…. _ever _say anything like that _ever again_ to me." she hissed. "I think I tasted vomit in my mouth for a second. Besides how can I be certain that any children _you _could produce would not most likely devour me from the inside out on the due date." Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"You honestly do know very little about demons don't you?" he tilted his head.

"Shut up." She snapped at him. "The birthing process of djinn was irrelevant to my essential upbringing. You know, the one that was cut short. Anyway, that is not the point. Why are you bothering me?" The young neko girl tapped her foot impatiently.

"Since you managed to run off without our knowledge, certain percussions have to be taken until you can be deemed trustworthy." He informed. "I had wanted to be more tactful, however you seem to prefer us to be straightforward." Reaching into his tailcoat, he pulled out a small velvety box, and placed her uniform down to open it. Ivy's eyes caught sight of a silk or satin -she could not sure right off the bat- black ribbon. On it was a golden little jingle bell. Oh no he did not.

She glared. "Clever. I am to wear a bell around my neck like some misbehaving feline pet." The neko spat in annoyance. Wonderful. Now he would be able to hear her no matter where she was. Sebastian let out a shrug.

"It would be beneficial to know where you are, seeing as there is a group of demons searching for you." he stated. Ivy sighed a bit. It was very pretty. At least Sebastian had the decency to make it presentable. "Take heart, once all is settled you may consider it a gift. I think it rather suits you." He gave one of his unreadable smiles. She pursed her lips, looking at it for a long time before looking back up at him with a smile.

"Alright then. You could not have picked a worse way to give this to me. However, because I wish to prove to the earl that I have nothing to hide I will wear this, without any qualms." She smiled, suddenly very light and breezy as she took the ribbon from him. "Hmmm, also…since I see that you are actually making an effort to play nice I accept your apology. I still do not like you though." Her smile was genuinely bright and vivacious in spite of her truthful words as her pinky tapped her lips thoughtfully, green eyes scrutinizing the ribbon. "Wait…" she held up her hair with one hand and handed the bell to the demon, turning her back to him. "You tie it in the back."

Sebastian certainly had not expected that. "I was under the impression that you had, had enough contact with me to last for eternity." He remarked dryly. Ivy let out a breath of laughter.

"Mister Michealis. I only want to see how you do it. Since it is most likely that I will prefer the bows you make to the ones I do as usual. If I can see it once then I will know how it's done remember? I'm quick." she stated bluntly, striding back into the room where the mirror was. "Now. If you please, hurry up and do as I say. I want you out of here as soon as possible." She told him honestly. The words themselves sounded quite harsh but her tone of voice held no malice at all. Well she certainly was a bit strange. He walked in after her.

Ivy did realize that this was a pretty bad idea when he stood directly behind her. Still, she would never let him know that at this point. He reached around her shoulders with her new 'collar' of sorts and it soon gracefully adorned her neck. The cold little bell just brushing her collarbone. She tensed slightly as his gloved fingers grazed the exposed skin on her neck. She turned her head slightly to get a good look at the dainty, yet elegant ribbon bow he was fastening. When he stopped, he gave the slightest sound of approval before stepping back. "Does the lady find this more to her liking?" He inquired. Sebastian and his faux chivalry. Ivy bit back a grin. Idiot.

"This will do quite nicely. Thank you." she nodded. She did like it very much actually. "Now then." she turned to face him. "Out." she pointed to the door. She had always been very quick to say what she wanted, but here she was pointing Sebastian to the door with some one worded command. It was as if she were talking to a dog. He raised an eyebrow. "Good night, Mister Michaelis." she told him simply before humming to herself.

"Miss Ivy, has anybody ever told you that you are very close to being what could be described as a walking contradiction?" he inquired. Ivy raised an eyebrow this time. "It is very interesting to watch. You speak such harsh words yet you seem to be in such a perfectly content mood. Why is that?" he inquired.

"I do not rightly know. I just feel quite good right now. The disdain for you is still there, and it is quite potent… yet it can not ruin my good humor at the moment." she shrugged. "Goodnight Mister Michaelis." She repeated and began pushing him when he did not walk fast enough. He gave her an odd look and she smiled back.

"Miss Ivy-"

"I said good_night… _Sebastian." At his surprised expression she laughed and was able to slam the door on his face. His lips drew into a smirk. Well…that was certainly new. The door swung open once again and a familiar wet uniform was tossed at his head before it was abruptly shut again. Cheeky girl.

….

Ivy smiled to herself…hmm…confusing Sebastian was actually quite a bit of fun now that she thought about it. Perhaps this was something like the reason why he drew enjoyment from tormenting and pestering others. Ha. She pulled off the ribbon, (trying not to remember how it got around her neck in the first place). Maybe she could have some more fun like this as well. Granted there was the downside of actually having to interact with him, but if she could be smart enough, perhaps she could make him leave her be. Ah if only she knew just what such a thing would start.

* * *

Author's Note: I saw no point in removing my old author's note and disclaimer from the top of this chapter. I also found it really ironic that I'm rewriting them around the same time this year as I was last time… except I'm off by nearly a month and uh… yeah. Happy Holidays and all that ya know? So essentially the main revision is now complete. Now I must go and edit out any small contradictions. Damn I thought this one would be done quicker but ah well. At least I got it up huh? Lolerz. Many thanks to all those followers and faves I lurve you guys and uh I hope the revision is well received cuz uh… its here to stay xD. Ciao yall. ARRGH All I want for Christmas is BOOKS! Lots of them.


	13. That Maid, Under Pressure

Author's Note: I should really begin this one right away. Or at least the author's note. I only got like four reviews for my last chappie how lame is that? I'm losing my ground severely :-P. Oh well. I'm going to finish this if it kills me. This is my take on Ciel's b'day with Ivy included. Hmm…now let's see how I go about this. I'm hoping not to change too much about it. Anywayz I hope you guys enjoy this one. Read and Review. Ciao!

Disclaimer: I do now own anything cannon mentioned in this fic. Sorry to say. I would crack myself up so bad if I did.

**Chapter Fourteen: That Maid, Under Pressure**

"'_Well_-_behaved women'_ _rarely make history." _Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

Ciel felt like he was falling. It was dark. There were black feathers drifting about… and he was falling. His white night shirt billowing about his weightless self. He could see his feet in the air above him through half lidded exhausted eyes. The feeling this evoked was like… that incident… that month. Yes. That horrible month that he wished to forget but never could.

"_That incident happened during a stormy night. On that particular midnight. It took away all my dreams and hopes."_

He could hear his own voice. His thoughts felt as thought they echoed around him. Telling his own story to himself.

"_The me that was face to face with Death, saw a black raven fly over my head."_

He blinked a few times in the darkness and shapes began to emerge. His heart pounded and he felt a very familiar twinge of fear grasp his breath. Ciel could feel his breathing become slightly shallow as red eyes opened and beamed down at him.

"_That raven held me with it's gaze, that seemed to be filled with illusion and mirage and said to me…"_

"**_The dead can never return to life…_**_" _That voice… so deep, electric, so familiar. It filled him with dread. _"**Never more…" **_Ciel could make out the bottom half of a shadowed face with pointed fangs just peeking out from behind this creature's lips. A finger with a long, sharp, black claw was placed in front of said lips, as though in a gesture of silence. He felt a panic rise within him yet he was unable to react properly. He simply just continued to fall in silence.

The scream threatening to rip from his throat was unexpectedly soothed away by a gentle feminine voice. Singing?

"_Beautiful dreamer…wake unto me…" _He frowned in confusion. Familiar and far away all at once, as if in the unseen background.

"Master…" That other voice repeated, it sounded different this time and much more tangible. "Young master…" Then there was the silhouette of people. Those people. That incident. Not again. No! He tried to jerk away.

"_Starlight and dew drops are waiting for thee…" …_Who was that?

"Young master!" A hand was suddenly reaching out to him. So close and dark. It was right in front of his face when he finally snapped out of it. He let out an angry, petrified gasp as he flailed aside. Then he was awake. A gun whipped out and held in front of the face of a familiar demon. His eyes were wild and he could feel his trembling arms as potently as the sticky cold sweat upon his skin. Dark grayish bangs clinging to his dampened forehead.

Sebastian looked at him with a mildly surprised expression on his face. The young earl's now conscious state still barely registered that he was no longer in any danger. The familiar surroundings of his room hadn't pulled into focus around him. The open drapes that allowed the sunlight to spill in through the large window, his canopy bed beneath him, all of it escaped him. The gun remained poised where it was defensively as he panted. "Don't…. touch me." His voice came out as a rasp between labored breaths. Sebastian looked at him blankly for a few moments before pasting on a smile once more.

"_Beautiful dreamer…wake unto me…" _Ciel flinched and his head whipped toward the door at the sound. It was getting closer. "What was that?" he demanded, nervously. He still held onto the gun tightly. Sebastian was surprised that he hadn't accidentally pulled the trigger yet.

"Good morning to you as well young master. What you are hearing is nothing to worry about…Miss Ivy often sings while she works." He explained. Just as he did so the door was nudged open cheerfully and quietly.

"Here is the morning tea you asked me to bring up." The half neko's voice softly spoke up. She hummed the tune of what she was singing. "Am I to-…" she trailed off upon noticing the young boy's state. Green eyes looked back and forth at the two of them. "What in the- Get away from him, what have you done!" She snapped at Sebastian's insensitivity. At her shout Ciel aimed the gun at her sharply then back at his butler, unsure of who he should have been aiming at. Clearly he was in some sort of a state of shock. "Scaring the boy to death, what is wrong with you? Are you alright Ciel?"

"Get away…both of you." His voice shook. "I am…not…afraid." he growled. Ivy gave Sebastian a look.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of, Ciel. If it had been _I _who'd woken up with him in my face I would have had a panic attack as well. I am honestly surprised that you did not shoot him already." She remarked. The butler simply took the tray and began to pour as if nothing was wrong.

"This morning's tea is Assam black tea, with added milk." He informed, mechanically and as routinely as always. "A milk tea, which I myself have prepared." He added in. As distant and curt as he seemed, the routine calm serenity seemed to be getting through to the boy as he watched. Ivy paid attention to the scene wondering what exactly made him this way. "The warm milk can help to soothe one's nerves and calm them down." He turned with the cup in had to face his young master, spying his inquiring gaze. "Especially after a nightmare." He added in a subtle, meaningful sort of way.

Slowly, Ciel let out a breath and shut his eyes as he shakily lowered his weapon. Ivy felt a twinge of worry and dare she say it…envy. She had nothing to offer the child, who seemed to be so dependant on his butler. "I apologize for my conduct." he said in her direction, now back to his normal self once again. She looked at him.

"It is not a problem. Do you often have nightmares?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. He took the teacup from Sebastian's gloved hand. He shook his head no, but Ivy had a feeling that it was a lie. Still she said nothing. "Hmm." she nodded simply. "I should get back to my duties-"

"Sebastian says that it was you singing a moment ago." he spoke up, surprising her. She looked at him again. Walking over to him slightly she apologized.

"Yes. I am sorry, did I disturb you?" she asked him. He shook his head no, and there was a look of contemplation on his face. Then she caught sight of the book on his bed beside him. It lay in its place on the sheets so innocently as she read the largest letters on the cover that it was almost laughable. Edgar Allen Poe one of the most depressed, morbid writers of the day. That explained a lot. She let out a sigh and massaged her temples. Sebastian had apparently noticed it too because he soon picked it up before she could reach for it with a slight smirk on his face.

"It must be because you were reading Edgar Poe's works before bedtime." He deducted almost smugly. Ivy rolled her eyes.

"Thank you for the insight. Let me see that." she demanded. He moved it out of her grasp. With a frown she tried and second time only to fail. Still she kept trying to get at it getting more irate at each attempt. The whole ordeal soon turning into an immature dance of demon keep away. "Seb-! Mister- Mis-ter- Mich-!" She kept jumping at it in frustration. Sebastian truly did have a penchant for pestering Ciel's newest made. The intelligent boy took note of it quite easily.

"Sebastian. Stop behaving like a fool. Give it to her before the two of you break something." Ciel grunted in annoyance at his two servant's immaturity, sipping from his cup. He could call him out on it later. It was no wonder she ran away from the manor and made such a fuss if the demon had tormented her like this all the time. The butler gave a graceful bow at the waist before allowing Ivy to snatch it from his hand. With a curt puff of air, she eyed the book cover.

"Never more… The Raven?" She raised an eyebrow. Suddenly she chucked it at the tall demon's head, barely missing as he dodged. "Why would you let him read 'The Raven' before he slept?" Her hands were on her hips. "Never more? As in all that is lost can never be returned! Lovely for a child who lost their family in a traumatic experience."

"Miss Ivy… and how precisely was I supposed to kno-"

"I thought you were supposed to know everything! Insensitive bastard. The bloody Raven of all of Poe's writings… and how exactly would you have known that a hot milk tea would be the best choice this morning? How very convenient. I do not care if you care nothing for this child, you are still his butler for now, and while you are his butler you are _supposed _to look after him, Sebastian!" She stated. Sebastian stared blankly at her. "Shut up." she held up a finger. "That was a slip up. Anyway the options are that either you knew about the book and thought it would be funny to let him have nightmares over it, or that you actually, for once made yourself look like a useless lout. Take your pick." she tapped her foot.

"I have the pleasure of doing anything I please in my home." Ciel spoke up, taking another sip of his black tea. Ivy rolled her eyes. Typical of a little boy. "What is the schedule for today?" he asked, mechanically as if he really did not care but figured that he needed to ask anyway. Ivy huffed and walked back to stand by the tray.

"Today you will have to assess the paper work sent in for the company, and in the afternoon you will be having the Marchioness Middleford, and her daughter Lady Elizabeth as guests." Sebastian informed as dutifully as any butler should. Upon these words however, Ciel practically jumped five feet in the air and for a second Ivy thought he was having a heart attack. Sebastian did not seem to notice however.

"OH NO!" he bellowed in a panic the volume of his voice making Ivy wince at her now ringing ears.

"…Also young master…"

"Shut up! Hurry and make preparations! MOVE!" he urged. Ivy was slightly confused. Was it the guests? Sebastian looked equally out of the loop.

"There is no need to be so anxious. The Marchioness will only be arriving in the afternoon…-" He tried to calm the boy down but the little earl only snapped at him, more anxious than ever.

"YOU IDIOT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS IS AUNT FRANCES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!" _'Aunt? Shouldn't she be legally in charge of the boy then?'_ That was what Ivy thought to herself upon hearing the name. Even if he was the sole heir to the Phantomhive estate and all properties included, it was still the norm that a legal guardian aid the child in preparation for his duties. Was he perhaps… decorated early for some reason? Sebastian seemed to understand Ciel's meaning once he thought more about it.

"Understood." he nodded. He stooped to begin dressing him. "Miss Ivy. Take the tray back to the kitchen if you please, and cover up those ears." He ordered without looking up at her. She nodded simply before she rolled said tray out of the door to allow Ciel some privacy as he got dressed. "Oh and do check up on the other servants will you?" He grinned after her. She only looked briefly over her shoulder.

"Of course, Mister Michaelis." She nodded calmly. "Have a good morning, young master." The young lady made sure to nod to Ciel before making her way off, shutting the door behind her.

…..

All was going well with the servants. Ivy came across them just as it appeared that Finnian was in the middle of a passionate speech. She rolled in with the tray with her usual calm and smooth mannerisms. They had become used to her being there and barely noticed her enter anymore. "Oh hi Miss Ivy." The young gardener smiled before turning back to them. She simply gave a brief smile before turning to wash up the saucers and teacups. "Really…have you all forgotten! Today is a special day!" He declared.

"Hmm?" They all looked at the calendar. Ivy tuned in to the conversation curiously. "Special…?" The servants trailed, still obviously quite clueless. Ivy simply picked up a rag and began drying them up.

"How so?" She asked.

"Why it's the young master's birthday of course!" He piped up in exasperation. Green eyes blinked in surprise. He was turning thirteen today? He never said a word about preparing for a birthday party. Could that have been why his Aunt was visiting him? Ah yet another thing that separated Ciel Phantomhive from other children it seemed. He did not like birthdays either. Putting the saucers neatly away she sat beside the others.

"That is odd. Neither him, nor Sebastian mentioned anything about it." She mused out loud. The four other servants exchanged glances. Miss Ivy seemed to have an esteem with the young master and with Sebastian that was different from them. As though she was partly within the secretive loop between the butler and master.

"Say Ivy…" Bard began with a gleam of mischief. Ivy raised an eyebrow at the smirk fighting to pull on his lips. "Anything interesting happen last night?" he asked 'casually'. The neko girl honestly hoped that he was actually _trying _to be obvious. Otherwise she would have a problem with him. She folded her arms and pursed her lips.

"If you have something to ask me Bard, please be forthcoming and just ask, because I honestly have no idea what you are talking about." she sighed wearily. He snickered.

"I mean I saw you kicking Sebastian out of your room last night." His grin would not be kept at bay any longer. Ivy internally gave a start. Damn it. Fortunately she did not outwardly react. The other three servants practically jumped from their seats. Oh please. Ivy let out a sharp, annoyed breath. Maylene let out a squeak and turned beet red at her friend's implications.

"Listen Bard." Ivy massaged her temples. "I do not like where I believe this conversation is going. I will explain myself, and hope that you will not jump to conclusions again." Straightening her posture she cleared her throat. "Yesterday, I got caught in the rain and Sebastian was being of help, by picking up my wet uniform so that I could get to sleep. He and I got into yet another disagreement and after some bickering I threw him out. The end." She completed her story. Still he didn't stop grinning, and deep down, somewhere deep down, Ivy admitted that she wanted to punch him on the head like a certain demon often did.

"Let's just prepare things for the guests." she muttered.

…..

"It has been a while since we last met, Marchioness Middleford." Ciel greeted his Aunt. A tall, stern looking but not unattractive woman stood before him with a grim, professional expression on her face. Her light blonde hair was pulled into a prim, elegant style, only a single long, curled strand of hair out to frame her face in a more feminine yet practical manner. Nothing about her appearance was out of place. She was every bit the perfect image of a proper English noblewoman. Standing beside her was her little daughter Lady Elizabeth. Or Lizzie as she preferred to be called. A pretty little blond thing with large green eyes and a pink bonnet that screamed girly girl, her golden curls emerging from beneath it to frame a heart-shaped, doe eyed face.

"As always you have arrived earlier than expected." he added with a nod. Sebastian stood a few paces behind him offering a polite nod and a smile. They had only barely gotten him dressed before she had arrived. Early as always. Aunt Frances eyed the place critically, before looking back at him.

"Skip the formal greetings, Earl Phantomhive." She said in her usual dominant manner. "Anyway, judging by your fresh out-of-bed look, can I presume that you have just awakened?" She raised an eyebrow. Lizzie gave a giddy blush looking at him, a wide smile taking over her features. With a girlish squeal she barreled into the young earl, giving him a killer embrace that was customary for her.

"Ahhh! Ciel looks so cute just out of bed!" She giggled. Squeezing and snuggling her fiancée. _'I'm being strangled to death!' _Ciel thought to himself. Sometimes Sebastian was utterly useless. The moment was broken up by the woman's stern bark of reprimand.

"Elizabeth!"

The two children froze. Lizzie stared at her mom fearfully. A vein protruding from the woman's forehead. "It is not proper for a young lady of your station to be engaging in such behavior." she scolded. "In any case you should be greeting him first. This may be where I once lived but I have still emphasized that you must behave like a refined Lady in another household." Strictly to the point as always. The young girl quaked but had not released him yet.

"I am so sorry, Mother!" She relented obediently. Ciel practically gasped for air. Sebastian eye caught sight of a rather anxious and flustered looking maid, hurrying for the door leading out to the garden. Fortunately her ears were well covered seeing as she did not seem to pay those around her any mind. The Marchioness quickly noticed the unfamiliar face.

"I was unaware that you finally saw that the manor was in need of some new help." She told Ciel. "You should have told me. I would have had recommended workers to you." Ciel was not entirely sure that she was displeased or not. Aunt Frances was always so weird. "Good. This house needs more women tending to it." She added. Ivy turned and looked at the woman, who started ever so slightly, looking at her face. She quickly gave a polite curtsy.

"Ivy is perfectly qualified help, I can promise you." Ciel stated. Sebastian smirked ever so slightly out of the corner of his eye. Ivy was nervous about something it seemed. Aunt Frances looked at her oddly for a moment.

"It is a pleasure to be acknowledged Marchioness, I hope that we servants can accommodate you exceptionally today." Ivy calmly greeted the noblewoman. The older woman eyed her almost critically, making her quite uncomfortable.

"Her manner is acceptable, and her posture is perfect. I commend you for that young lady. How long have you worked here?" She asked. Was this some sort of late interview?

"Almost two weeks, my lady." she bowed her head respectfully. She sweat dropped ever so slightly. There was a wordless nod.

"She is up to standard for now. As a maid her appearance is very striking and could prove a problem seeing as servants are meant to attract very little attention." She told Ciel simply. "She resembles somebody I once knew actually…" She shrugged it off. "You may go about your business." Ivy noted Sebastian's covered up discomfort. Was he intimidated by this woman? Ha ha ha! This she had to see. She lingered discreetly above the staircase in a corner that casted more shadow.

"It has been quite a while indeed, welcome Marchioness and Lady Elizabeth." Sebastian spoke up graciously. The Marchioness simply gave him a hard, angry stare. Never had she been very fond of the butler. "Thank you for taking the time to travel all the way to…" Sebastian trailed off, noticing her dark glare as a shadow seemed to pass over her face. _Now_ what had he done? This woman was out of her mind. He cleared his throat. "May I ask if there is something… on my face?" Sebastian was unused to being put on the spot by anybody.

"That face of yours! What indecent features you possess!" She blatantly disapproved. Ivy grinned ever so slightly. Yes. Another woman who didn't fall over him. Ivy found that despite her scary over bearing presence that she liked this woman already. Sebastian obviously did not feel the same.

"I was born looking this way-"

"ALSO!" She snapped obviously not liking his back talk. It was when she forcefully yanked at his hair that Ivy nearly broke her silent demeanor and died laughing. Her mouth gaped in soundless glee. "You and your master are both the same! Men should not have fringe hanging in their faces like this! Seeing it irks me! Kindly learn from Tanaka!" She pointed out the old male servant who Ivy had just noticed was standing there. Heh. So he was pretty good at sneaking around too. She smirked at Sebastian. Well it was good to know that he too was man handled now and then. Ivy took pity on her young employer when the woman then reared on him, however she knew better than to interfere.

"Aunt Frances?… Aunt?… Please?…Wait a moment! _AAAAHHHHHH!_"

In no time both butler and master were spot on. Ivy covered her mouth, stifling the giggles. She had to get out of here. "I apologize that I have to trouble you with all of this, Aunt Frances." That was also something quite amusing, this woman was so terrifying to these two that they were the ones apologizing to her after being roughed up so. Putting her nature to good use she slipped away to check on Finnian so that she could hurry and check up on Maylene, then back to Bard. Once again the bastard had left her in charge of everybody. At least he was around but still.

When she opened the door, she gaped at the horror story that was unraveling in the garden, courtesy of Finni. Uh-oh. To say the very least. The young lady nearly had a heart attack when she heard Sebastian leading the Marchioness right toward the very same door. "…Roses brought in from Germany are exceptionally beautiful…" Internally she cursed her lack of foresight. There was no time to scold Finnian. She tried to get the butler's attention discreetly but only Ciel seemed to notice her warnings. His silent protests were left unheeded as well.

"Pardon me, Mister Michaelis.." she gripped his sleeve through gritted teeth, giving a stubborn tug. He frowned and looked at her. She motioned him down to her level and quietly explained the situation when he complied. The Marchioness frowned suspiciously at the two servants. Unable to hear precisely what happened. He straightened up with a serious expression before opening the doors slightly to take a look. The sight of winter roses being mutilated by clippers mercilessly and tossed into a pile on the ground met his eyes. He shut it before Ciel's aunt could see anything. Lizzie had been quiet and slightly confused the whole time and continued to be so.

"I have made a mistake." Ciel and Ivy both shifted and sweat dropped with extreme nervousness. "I actually wanted to allow you to explore the main hall." he said. This was so stupid! Obviously the 'guest' was not very impressed either. With a bow she ran to the dining room as Sebastian continued to struggle with the situation.

"Maylene! Is everything okay?" she asked. To her surprise nothing was broken and she let out a breath of relief. "I will be back in a moment…Bard is being rather quiet." she explained with a worried expression. Maylene nodded with understanding. She had to polish the plates next and she was dreading it. If she dropped something with guests coming over she would be in big trouble. Ivy gave her a smile and a nod before hurrying off. To the kitchen she went.

….

"What's going on in here?" Ivy stepped into the kitchen, frowning when she found Bard bent over and half way inside the oven. She rose an eyebrow and folded her arms. "What are you doing?" Her head tilted ever so slightly. He tried to sit back too quickly and knocked his head against the top. There was a cuss and a grunt of pain. The head chef of the household seemed to be quite used to pain by now.

He backed out, attempting to wipe some soot from his forehead, it was only smudged by sweat. "Hey there. Ugh…I tried to turn on the oven but it only kept making this weird sound and it won't get to heating up." The cigarette between his teeth was chewed almost in half in his frustration. Ivy noted that it was lit and frowned.

"You had best be careful of that cigarette in there." she scolded. He said nothing as he went back in to check it out some more. "Bard…if that oven explodes, Sebastian will kill you and then I will have to somehow revive you so that I can kill you myself." She told him simply. On the counter she noticed a glimpse of orange. She walked over with a smile. Tangerines. That is right the season for tangerines was from around September until April, winter fruit. Who knew right? Trust Sebastian to stock up before they were unavailable. They smelled wonderful.

She picked up two of them in either hand and took a fond whiff. Her mother used to buy them for her simply because she loved the smell. Once again she had let down her guard… and it all happened within a split second that had her impressed with her own speed. She barely caught the "WOAH!" That had ripped from Bard's lips as it happened.

-KABOOM!

The heat nearly scorched her as she cart wheeled out of the way and behind the island in the center of the room with a screech. "OH MY GOD, BARD!" She screamed, thinking he'd been completely roasted. The sound of him coughing near by gave her great relief. Her sensitive nose scrunched at the assault of smoke and she coughed a bit herself, covering her mouth. Well so much for the smell of tangerines. She pouted. The baskets had been entirely destroyed save for the four fruits that were in her hands when she had leapt.

"I'm okay." he huffed. Ivy stood up with a glare.

"Excellent. Then I can finish the job." she growled, attacking him.

"AAAIIIEEEE!"

…..

"Have you made a mistake again?" Marchioness Frances Middleford was extremely annoyed by now as she looked at her nephew's butler. When she got no response from the smiling servant. Obviously a forced smile. She gave an angry puff of breath. "You are such an indecisive man!" Her eyes practically held fire in them, and Sebastian could have sworn she was imagining his demise within them. Ivy exited the kitchen and winced when he gave her a dark look. Obviously the day was going dreadfully for him. She took pity on him for once. Looking back at the fuming woman, he simply bowed at the waist with a hand to his chest, and an apologetic expression, shouldering all the blame.

"I am so sorry…my way of handling things are just too…" Ivy touched his arm and gave The Earl and his aunt an apologetic nod.

"Mister Michaelis." She whispered. "Perhaps the Marchioness would be impressed by the pains you took caring for the young master's new steed?" She was grasping at straws truly but she seemed as though she would appreciate the art of horse husbandry. He said nothing but stood up and gave her a 'no really?' expression. She glared at him. How was she supposed to know anything about a total stranger? Well he could just forget about getting the four surviving tangerines. They were hers now.

"I have just been reminded that there is a place that I have been meaning to let The Marchioness explore even though you may find it inappropriate for ladies to explore… Anyway allow me to show you to the stables." He smiled politely. Ivy let out a breath. She was certainly on a roll today. Why did she have to have an off day now of all times? Words could not express her relief as they headed out. She had opened a window and asked Finnian to help a certain busted up head chef clean up the kitchen, and now was about to check the dining area. Something told her that she had been away for too long.

…..

"All day? _All day?_" Ivy was in horror over what the butler and master had told her ever so casually. A hunting trip. All bloody day. Sebastian simply maintained his faux smile of serene politeness. That meant that she would be alone until they returned for dinner.

"Of course." Ciel stated, in some sort of dark 'Fear-me-I-am-an-evil-noble-after-vengeance-rawr' mode. "A hunt normally does last for most of the day, and as it is just afternoon, we shall have to return for dinner. Lunch will have to be a picnic come to think of it." He added in, his posture proud and rigid. Something was making his stubborn childish pride go into overload at the moment. Ivy wanted to bury herself in a hole. A deep hole…and never come out.

"That means I will be alone here?" She kept the whimper in her voice at bay. Sebastian went off to prepare the baskets for lunch. "Is there any way you can take pity on me?" she asked them miserably. "I barely managed to keep things together the last time the two of you were gone." Not to mention that this time she had been doing a fairly -how do you say-… lousy job so far. She grabbed onto the back of the butler's coat wearily. "Sebaaastiiaaaan." She dragged out his name with a tired, shaky voice. She head walled between his shoulder blades. "Have pity for once." she pouted. Ciel looked at them and Sebastian simply shrugged and shook his head.

"Miss Ivy…if you do not stay here things would turn significantly worse than they already are…wouldn't you agree?" Sebastian was quite amused by her reaction. She paled and her left eye twitched. He chuckled and she glared at him. "Where is the bell?" He asked suddenly, he had been able to hear the little trinket all day but had not seen it visibly on her person. If she only knew the significance of the sound of a bell to a demon.

She glared at him and folded her arms. "It is hidden." she answered vaguely, ignoring the fact that she had tied it to one of her garters. "I was right to do so as well. I believe that Bard has begun to develop some fairly unsavory ideas in his head." She muttered. He gave a signature smirk before she pushed past him to sit somewhere, dark eyes following her path. Any seat would do, considering what she was in for.

"Stay here and make sure that they do not destroy my house." Ciel stated firmly. "…And Sebastian keep your eyes to yourself, you're digusting." he said cryptically, making Ivy feel a bit alarmed. She frowned.

"Alright. I have made my decision. You are _both _evil." she sulked. Ciel smirked ever so slightly. "Ah! I am still much more fond of my_ cute, tiny, wee, little_ master than I am of his demon however." She smiled brightly, enjoying how the boy's eye twitched and darkened. "Anyway! I'd best make sure there are no repeat mistakes inside. Good luck on your hunt, Earl Phantomhive." She nodded with a wink. They watched her hurry off. It was strange how easily she switched from miserable to cheerful sunshine so quickly. Ciel turned to Sebastian with an odd expression.

"Do not look at me." He shrugged and gave a smile, seemingly glowing.

…..

Ivy had gone insane, replacing the rose bushes. Having a weakness for flowers, she needed them back right away, guilt ridden for not being able to save the last ones. Upon returning into the manor she came across a pretty sorry sight. Tanaka, Maylene, and Finnian were huddled around Bard as he nursed his injured arm. She tilted her head. "I did not do that did I?" she asked, not recalling doing anything _that _severe to him. He shook his head no as he continued to tend to it. "Good…here, let's make some room for your fingers." She stooped to help him. The cast was covering his entire fist, which would not do. His leg was also pretty messed up, considering he now stooped on a crutch. She looked at their surroundings.

What in hellfire? The place was ridiculously over done with roses everywhere and there was a horror story cake sitting near by. "What have you been up to while I was fixing everything?" She asked with a sweat drop. Ciel's birthday. They all smiled proudly. It seemed as though they were all still fairly roughed up from the effort it took them to do this. If only they didn't have such good intentions every time, then she would not have to feel so damn sorry for them all the time. "Um…very thoughtful…how about I see what you've-" The doors were opening. Shit. She was screwed along with them.

"I shall show you what I am capable of doing with all of these…" Sebastian trailed seeing the disheveled servants. Ivy stood among them, looking terribly embarrassed.

"WELCOME BACK!" Finnian and the others greeted cheerfully in a chorus. Ciel looked like he was given a death sentence.

"Why do you all look like this?" He asked, sweating.

"Look! This was made by all of us!" The little gardener held up the horror cake gleefully and Ivy smacked herself in the forehead. They showed them into the dining hall and she felt her stomach drop. It was a mess. They should have asked for her help or at least told her that they were planning something! Some help Tanaka was! Apparently Bard had cooked a donburi, Finni has used the mutilated roses to help decorate the table and surroundings, and of course the table setting was done by Maylene…thank heaven nothing else was destroyed.

The Marchioness looked livid. "They are actually one step ahead of me…I came here today especially for the sake of saying this…" Ciel seemed to nearly shrink and she walked towards him, everything moving almost in slow motion. "Happy 13th birthday Ciel." Her face softened into something warm and affectionate as she ruffled the boy's hair. Ivy smiled. Ciel did have somebody who loved him, and that made her feel warm and pleased. Pleasantries were exchanged and soon they were all gathered to sing Happy Birthday to Ciel. She stood off to the side, observing everything as usual. Her sharp eye caught sight of the butler slinking away into the kitchens and she sighed.

….

"Oh my…it seems the cake that I have made has gone to waste." Sebastian eyed the carefully made pastry. His voice breaking the silence in the dark kitchen. It was decorated with strawberries and a small quaint little top hat. Happy Birthday written in a neat, sugary script.

"Unless somebody eats it." The sound directed his attention to the little half neko, seated atop the counter as if she had been there all along, hands on either side of herself, legs kicking out slightly over the edge. It astounded him how she managed to sneak around him lately. "I owe you an apology." She said, oblivious that she had caught him off guard. He turned to face her, impassive as ever.

"Oh?" he inquired. She sucked her teeth in response.

"For all of the embarrassment today of course." she admitted. "I allowed myself to be far too distracted." Foolish girl. She honestly thought he was still upset about that? He raised an eyebrow at her, making her uncomfortable. Running a hand through her hair she reached behind herself and held out four tangerines. "Here. I took the liberty of putting in a new order before they go out of season again, it should arrive sometime this week, in the meantime this should suffice to make the young master a proper orange black tea." She stated softly. He gave a slightly surprised expression. "Which reminds me that the new tea set should be here by morning tomorrow, and do not worry about the garden…I already took care of it." she pursed her lips. So she had been doing all of that during this time, it explained a lot. Such a clever girl.

He gave a grin and she frowned slightly, tilting her head. "You know, you can put your hair back to normal." she gave a chuckle. "You look miserable like this." Her hands ruffled it back to its usual state much to his surprise.

"…Hmph." he looked back at the cake. "It is truly hard to comprehend what creatures like humans are thinking…" The butler freed his hand from its glove revealing the seal of the contract black and imposing against his pale flesh. She stared at it curiously.

"Do those hurt?" she asked, catching his wrist. He just grinned and pulled his hand back, before he stuck his fingers into the frosting of the top hat and pulled out a piece, tasting it slowly. The grimace on his face made Ivy scoff.

"They actually find this kind of stuff delicious." He seemed incredulous.

"So do I in case you have forgotten." she stuck out her tongue. "It is not something that can really be explained, it just tastes good…the same way I will never understand how you can't like cake, and chocolate too, shame on you." She pulled the scarf from her head to free her ears, shaking out her hair. He smiled at her. "You don't have to eat the cake Sebastian." she laughed at him. "Just give it to me, I would hate to see a grown demon cry." She slid it towards herself.

"What a kind sacrifice." he drawled with a smirk. She stuck out her tongue.

"You are welcome." She completely missed his proximity to her. Only she could be so oblivious to him. Her ears shot up and she practically elbowed him out of her way to rush the window with a chirp like purr. "It's snowing!" She whispered happily, placing her hands on the glass. "It's lovely is it not? The best things in my life always happen to me when it snows." Her eyes were wide and starry.

"Indeed." he smirked.

….

Ciel was working late that night as the servants were playing out in the falling snow. Lizzie and Aunt Frances had gone already so he was mildly surprised when the doors to his office were pushed open. "Good evening." Not his butler. His maid. "I know that it is rather late, and that Sebastian's baked goods outshine anything I could make, however I felt it only appropriate that I make this for you." The neko spoke up.

"Why are you not prancing around in the cold like the others?" He asked, looking back down busily. She placed a chocolate cupcake in front of him much to his surprise with a smile.

"I will be in a moment, and if you were not as you are then I would invite you to join us." she teased. "However, all that aside…I never had anybody to do something like this for…" Ciel blinked up at her in astonishment. "Listen I just thought that upon my first arrival here, you and I got off on the wrong foot is all. Consider this a peace offering. My mother always made me one on my birthday, so I pass the tradition on." she added jokingly. "Happy Birthday, Ciel Phantomhive." As she left the office of the stunned boy, he spoke up.

"Wait."

She turned to face him curiously. "Sit down. I have a story to tell you about my birthday." He said gravelly. With a nod she did so.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright. I PROMISE! That Grell will be in the next chapter folks! Happy Holidays! I hope this one was good! Writing with the manga and changing as little as possible was a problem for me, but hey what can ya do? Fortunately I had help from a friend xD, who nearly cussed me out when I was being unintentionally stubborn about ideas. This was a long one no? Anyway, it's done. Thank goodness. I am on my way to being finished officially with this revision. I am so close that I could cry xD. Wish me luck, Ciao!


	14. That Maid, Face of Death

Author's Note: This one is gonna be another doozey it turns out. Okay! Here comes Grell xDDD. He shall be in this chapter, awesome no? I love the humor he always brings to the table XD! Watched Tangled with my mumzy…sooo cute xD. Anywhooo! Let's have some more fun here shall we? After le b'day. I hope I can make Grell believable, and I can't wait to get him and Ivy in the same vicinity. I can't believe the Manga can't be updated quicker! Come ooooon the latest issue had me flipping my lid! I went crazy when I saw that zombie girl! DO NOT DO THIS TO ME DAMN IT! Nothing says classic horror like good ole' fashioned zombie killing!

Disclaimer: I own nothing and I have come to accept it long ago. I WILL send a hoard of angry nekos after the next lawyer who so much as breathes in my direction *evil glare*. It is annoying.

**Chapter Fifteen: That Maid, Face of Death**

"_I see when men love women. They give them but a little of their lives. But women when they love, give everything_._"_ -Oscar Wilde

Ivy could see her breath, blowing puffs of it and spinning among the falling snow flakes. How long had it been since she had played in the snow? Last night she had heard the story of how Ciel Phantomhive came to be as he was. On his birthday of all days. She had not been particularly as chipper as she was before and after taking a stroll in the cold frosty air, came back inside for some hot chocolate by the fireplace, during which time she poured over Ciel's library in search of something to read before she slept. Picking out a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens she had curled up into a ball on a sofa chair, her tail swishing.

That was when Sebastian had to show up of course. It seemed that his favorite past time included disrupting any sort of peace that she found for herself. She seethed at his antics. He had come behind the chair and flicked her ear, making her frown and turn to look in one direction, then tugged her tail and scared the living daylights out of her. The book would have fallen into the flames if she were not so quick.

**_Flashback:_**

She sucked in a livid breath of air and held it for a good five seconds before slowing exhaling and not even looking at him, instead resting her face between her hands, shaking her head. All she wanted was to keep at bay her explosive temper and the demon was not helping, in fact he was chuckling behind her. Her eye twitched. "DAMN IT!" she snapped at him with a glare. "WHY MICHAELIS? JUST WHY?" The poor girl was frustrated beyond belief from trying so hard to understand how on earth she was supposed to deal with this beast.

Her hands squeezed the handle of the mug until she was white knuckled. She flinched noticeably when his gloved hands touched hers. A heat that she could not understand was swelling within her as he took the porcelain handle from her grip. This only served to make her angry. She hated not knowing, not understanding, it made her feel helpless, something that she had become far too acquainted with in life. Helplessness. "I can't have you shattering the poor mug." He smirked at her tight faced glare, her lip curled ever so slightly. "I should tell you that, sitting in the young master's favorite chair, shedding, would affect his allergies." He waved a finger at her and she jumped up immediately. Temper forgotten.

"Oh! Bloody sodding hell-…I'm so sorry!" she face palmed. How could she have been so thoughtless? Sebastian tilted his head watching her do her best to clean off the chair. Plopping into the other one, she sulked. "Sometimes…I hate my stupid fur." she muttered, ears drooping.

"Oh my, I do believe I have mistaken the chairs, the one on the _left _is actually his favorite." He relished in the freshly angered expression that she now sported. Her cheeks and nose were still slightly pink from being out in the cold. She shoved the book she'd been reading back into it's place, lips pursed in a tight line. She swore that she was perfectly capable of taking his life if given the opportunity sometimes.

"In that case you can clean it yourself. I am going to bed. Now, because I am tired, and you ruin everything." She bluntly stated. He was the epitome of all things exhausting. It was clear to her that he knew that all too well. He was also possibly one of the creepiest…_complete bastards _that she had ever encountered. She muttered obscenities to herself with a dark pout as she calmly walked away, fists at her sides. She absolutely refused to be treated like some sort of tinker toy, for the cruel amusement of a demon. She collided with a solid chest and jumped backwards a good five feet.

"I am curious. Do half breeds feed better on souls or human food?" he inquired. She frowned at him.

"Both…however…since I have quite a taste for human food I stick with it, considering that because of the preference my palate would most likely find the taste of a soul to be akin to that of dog piss or something of the like." She drawled. He seemed amused by this. She walked around him and he fell in step beside her. "What now?" she growled.

"You dropped this." He tilted his head, with one of his beaming smiles. In his hand he held out a ribbon with a bell and Ivy swore that she had just experienced a minor stroke. How had that…? Impossible! She had tied the damn thing herself! 'He didn't. No. He _didn't_. He wouldn't _dare!_' She pleaded with the fates mentally. Mean old bats. It was not as though she could accuse him without looking like a fool either. After staring with wide unblinking eyes filled with horror, rage, and just general fear mostly, she glared at him.

"Alright. I dropped it." she answered flatly. "And I will leave it at that because I have no desire to ponder on this train of thought." The young lady almost left without it but caught herself, hating her awkwardness. "Give me that." she hissed at him snatching it. He smirked. "Goodnight." she full on stormed away now, down the halls to where she slept. The demon was satisfied.

**_End Flashback_**

That had been that, and now she found herself growing more and more afraid to be near him as time slowly passed. She was heading back inside before she got too sidetracked again. Today she had convinced the earl and his butler to allow her to take care of the horses. After having another of her horrible nightmares again…she needed to do something calming. However…it appeared that the two of them were up to something of importance today and being very much like a cat in nature she was bent on her curiosity being satiated. If it had something to do with the orphanages she refused to be left out of the loop. This was personal. It was about _her_. Not them.

Thus and therefore, when she was inside and noticed her young employer/kidnapper getting ready to go out for what seemed like at least a day, her attention was immediately diverted. Not that she suspected them of breaking their agreement anymore.

….

Ciel Phantomhive stood with all the grace of an English nobleman. His cane in one hand, posture rigid. Beside him stood his tall, dashing butler, prepared for duty as usual. They always did make quite the pair to look at. The two of them were looking over some sort of paper work and police reports in the young boy's office. Silent, almost as if he had not heard Ivy speaking just then at all. "I have people to visit on this trip. To bring you along would be far too difficult to explain." He answered the neko girl. This was ridiculous. She was indignant.

"This whole ordeal is my problem in the first place." she insisted. "I need closure! Besides nobody can tell you more about my clan than I. I can help!" Stubborn girl. Ciel placed down the police reports from Scotland Yard to frown briefly at her through a single blue eye. She folded her arms. Said eye narrowed itself before going back to it's original apathetic state.

"Point taken. However, I still would rather not take you along on this particular visit. You can tell me what I need to know when we return tomorrow." He responded simply. "It would still be far too much trouble to explain the random presence of some girl." He was fairly adamant for her not to come with them. Ivy gave a forlorn breath of frustration, pouting. It was probably because they did not want the house in shambles when they returned, and she understood really she did, but she needed this. It was important to her. Unshakably so. She could not just let it go. What could she possibly do though? She opened her mouth to make some sort of appeal but was interrupted. "Miss Ivy, you are not going to be joining us and that is final." He scolded. How embarrassing, being scolded by a thirteen-year-old boy. Sebastian snickered behind her and she twitched.

"Why are you going to see it now of all times? Isn't it rather late?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"Another reason you shouldn't come. There was an odd sighting there again. I was hoping Sebastian could find traces of whoever has been there."

She made one of her most devastating pouts that Ciel would not look directly at as she folded her arms. The little prince of ice was unmoved. "Fine then." She sulked. Oh she would find a way. She knew that she would. She had handled herself quite well over the years and it would take more than a week or two in a manor to quell her devious nature. She was still half neko demon, and nekos hated to be told no in general. She allowed the gears in her mind to turn without another word. The boy grunted then turned to Sebastian.

"Inform the servants of our departure and call a coach if you please." he ordered. The tall butler bowed at the waist with a smile. "Make it quick."

"Yes, my Lord." He responded, his voice always the same husky baritone. Ivy was already half out the door. As he exited behind her. She pursed her lips and grabbed onto his arm once out in the hall tugging as she made her demand.

"Let me go with you." She more ordered than stated. He raised an eyebrow before continuing to walk onward easily, with her dragging behind stubbornly from his arm. Bloody ox. He was just too strong. "Neither of you really understand why this is so important to me and I do not expect you to but I _have_ to see Bedfordshire for myself!" She raved stumbling along after him. "The least I can do is pay my respects to the few little girls who were actually my friends as young as they were…nobody will miss them…just me!" she dug her heels against the ground. Damn him, he wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Why exactly should I go against my master's wishes? Besides I can not very well fit you into my pocket Miss Ivy, have a good day." He spoke as he pulled her fingers from his forearm.

"Oh as though you've never found loopholes before! Besides he did not even directly order you not to take me along." She defended herself.

"I see no profit in it. It is far more amusing and beneficial to leave you here once again. The manor will survive, and the young master will remain in a good humor." He smirked.

She wanted to kill him again… so very badly, she would just have to figure out how to manage it someday. "This manor has survived for years without me already apparently, and he will not even know I'm there if I use my cat form and stay out of sight." She reasoned. There was a slight pause. "Also… this is extremely hard for me to say, and I know it is going to be painful… the words already hurt my teeth and I am not even speaking them yet… however yes this is that important to me and I will find a way to get what I want either way so listen…if you allow me to stow away…I will…" She trailed off, scratching the back of her head. God she hated herself. "I will allow you to c-… cuddle my cat form again anytime you feel like it for a day." Desperation. It comes from hell. Of that she was convinced.

Even Sebastian was surprised. Now that certainly was something. Coming from her, who absolutely disdained being touched…mostly by him. She wanted to do this that badly? She face palmed at the awkward silence. "Don't…look at me like that! I know, I know! I am really asking for it, but I have to see the orphanage. Do you agree or not?" she demanded impatiently. Hopefully she had gotten through to him just how much importance this had with her. "I mean it."

…..

Ivy had not thought this far ahead. She was sulking incessantly in her cat form, tucked snugly under Sebastian's coat as he drove the carriage. She should have known something like this would happen, now here she was closer to the demon than she had ever wanted to be. Her cheek was pressed up against his chest, warm, firm, defined…. and her worst nightmare. He was probably laughing at her right then, him with his smug expression. She could almost see it.

If she was not so furry she might have been red faced from embarrassment. Damn it she was not used to being so physically close to beings of the male persuasion! She grew up most of her life with only girls and women. No father. No brothers. Rarely did she meet boys. She had, had her friendships…like the chimney sweep who used to come to clean the orphanage chimney often. Well, and there was the kitsune sprite who served her mother. He had always been heaps of fun. Other than that nothing. The stupidity of this was complete and utter. What was going to happen next? Her fluffy tail twitched and swished impatiently. Life sucked. The trip felt like an eternity to her. It was horribly awkward. "I hate my life." she grumbled, and she was sure that Sebastian could hear her.

…..

If there was one thing Grell Sutcliffe hated it was working. The tedious hours of reaping, recording, and rechecking paper work. He had an attention span that craved a little bit of fun…on a constant basis. Sometimes he figured that he was just not cut out for this job. This boring, repetitive job. Green eyes focused on the pages of his book. He felt utterly miserable. Concentrating on something as every day and mundane as death got increasingly dull with time….and the work just never _ended! _You finish one job only to have a whole slew of new assignments ten seconds later. Humans really did drop like flies all around, everyday. A gal needed a break every now and then, come on.

It was not as though Grell was entirely hopeless at focusing, but he needed motivation. Some things just were not worth listening to. If he loved something, he could focus almost obsessively on it to the point where everything else mattered little. Kind of like devastatingly gorgeous demons prowling the earth, making young and beautiful shinigami hotter than Hades. He internally squealed. He would have to go visit his dark love sometime soon. Will had him far too busy with work. Probation sucks.

One thing Grell hated more than working however…was working overtime. Sadly yes, he had been forced to work overtime due an incident with an orphanage. Apparently a group of lesser demons had taken down an entire orphanage. The district was puzzled to note that not a single soul had been snagged by the beasts, so an investigation was necessary. So here he was picking up the mess and checking for any souls that might have been lost, doing paper work. He was definitely not made for paperwork at all. The red clad death god let out a long sigh as he sat atop the charred orphanage roof, resting his chin on the palm of his hand for a bit. The winter air was rather chilly, but it mattered little to somebody like him.

Staring down at the names written before him by a red quill pen with fluff at the tip, the letters began to swim. He groaned. If he did not get some form of diversion sometime soon he was going to lose his mind. Stupid William, sending him here. Nobody else wanted to go, so they dumped this job off on him; the probation gopher. In order to take his mind off of this he began to plan when he could take a day or so off…maybe then he could even go to see Sebby.

Just as this thought came to mind he heard the sound of a sneeze. His head snapped in the direction and he peaked over the ledge to see two very familiar figures. He grinned excitedly, baring his rows of sharp teeth as he did so. Work was so over today.

…..

Ciel's allergies were acting up again…. he was not pleased, that had been the last thing he needed. The ride had been fairly uneventful. Now the rolling carriage came to a stop in front of the remains of what once was The Bedfordshire All Girls Orphanage. It was mostly in shape…but blackened…and it appeared that there was nothing left on the inside. Sebastian stood beside him as usual as they gazed at the building. He sneezed once again and huffed. "Sebastian…how often do you play with cats?" he growled. "….You cat obsessed, idiot, it is _Ivy's_ fur isn't it? Leave the maid alone damn it." he stormed toward the doors. Sebastian smirked and made no response. He stopped the boy with a hand on his shoulder.

"It would be unwise to enter a building that has just suffered a severe fire…it is liable to collapse on top of you, young master." he stated. Ciel snatched away his shoulder, but did not enter the building anyway. His eyes were burning and he gave an angry growl, wiping them. He pulled out a handkerchief and held it over his nose and mouth. Distracted by this momentarily, he completely missed the coon kitten squeezing out of Sebastian's jacket collar and hopping to the ground, scurrying off with unnatural speed.

"Then I suppose you can enter and check it out yourself." he replied flatly. Sebastian simply gave a smug expression, carrying him abruptly under his arm like a sack of potatoes. He would have to bring him inside, leaving him alone outside would be foolishness. He ignored Ciel's very vocal protests and angry struggling. Ivy had obviously made it clear that she felt she did not need any 'baby sitting' so he would simply see if that was true.

…..

Ivy's cat form was much more convenient and compact for things like exploring. Especially when one did not want to be seen while doing it. She was not an idiot…the building appeared to be sound enough but she knew better than to look around too far away from an available exit. It would not be happy fun time if this placed caved in on her. Certainly she was fast enough…but mistakes could be made. She sniffed about, withering as she noticed that cobwebs had already been made. More spiders. Lovely. She continued on her search for anything that might have been left behind. It was like having reality finally set in. This had really happened.

She crawled up to the rooms where the girls once slept. It had once felt so surreal that this place had only just existed and was suddenly…destroyed. Gone. In ruins, like a shadow of what had once been. The Bobbies had most likely cleared this place up and the neko could only imagine the scene that they must have come upon. Even among the charred remains she could see a stain of what once a blood splatter on a doorframe. Nobody in her clan was so outlandish in the society of humans…nekos were supposed to have boundaries. Secrecy like any other creature. Who in hellfire did something like this so…well…openly? Not even the Bercarius family was known to be this bold. If her mother could see this she would have been having a fit.

There were some other shuffling sounds but it was most likely just Ciel and Sebastian downstairs. She shook out her fur and sneezed slightly from the ash that still fell from the ceiling…there was nothing here of any help, if there was something Scotland Yard overlooked it would likely be at the police station with other acquired evidence. The shuffling came closer and she realized that it was somebody in the room with her…and there was no way it could have been Sebastian or Ciel without her knowing…this was somebody unfamiliar.

She crouched low, ears back as a figure rose from a crouched position behind a bed, their back was facing her so she could not see them. However, when two sharp ears flicked upwards into her view she froze, wide eyed. Another stood up then beside him. "There is nothing left here…he will not be pleased if we return empty handed…he warned us remember?" Ivy listened, in one position…her heart pounding. Slowly and surely she began to back up out of there. Perhaps coming here had been a bad idea after all. One ear twitched as she set a single paw on the ground and she winced. Silence. "I heard it too." One of them confirmed without waiting for his companion to ask in a whisper.

Damn it…she was definitely among her own kind now. A familiar voice piped up distracting them. "Put me down, Sebastian." a twelve-year-old earl demanded. She had never been more pleased to hear that grumpy little snarl. As soon as she could feel Ciel's presence along with Sebastians the two full breeds both flinched and their ears went back. "The window… gogogo!" The other whispered harshly. They were gone as the windows were flung open, like phantoms. She let out a breath of relief, but tensed all over again as Ciel and Sebastian entered the room. She gave Ciel her most innocent eyes.

Ciel obviously recognized her eyes right away by the dull, disapproving scowl on his face. "Um…hello." She laughed nervously, ears drooping. Sebastian simply smirked at her in an 'I knew it would happen' kind of way. She bit down the urge to stick out her tongue and simply changed back to normal. No point in hiding anymore. The boy glared at his butler, knowing that something like this could not happen under Sebastian's nose…he was too hypersensitive to the newest maid lately to have not known she was there.

"Put me down, that is an order." he growled. He had an attitude far too big for his size. Ivy under any other circumstance would have found it adorable. He was set down gracefully.

"Explain." He ordered.

"Don't misunderstand!" Ivy held up her hands, placating. "I was not trying to undermine you. I just wanted to get closer for myself so I stowed away, planning to stay out of it until we got back. I wouldn't have disturbed you or your associate I promise!" Her ears drooped and large eyes widened. Ciel rolled his eyes but finally let out a sigh, massaging his temples.

"This was partially my fault for not thinking about every possibility so I will overlook it this time. We have no time to make her go home…she will have to join us to visit the Undertaker." he stated. "There is nothing here for us to see anyway, as I thought. Let's go."

Ivy glared at the window as they walked down the hall. "There were nekos here a moment ago…it sounded like they were searching for something but the moment you and Mister Michaelis reached their range of detection they booked it out of here, so I have no idea what that could thing be." She pursed her lips. "By now they could be anywhere."

Ciel looked at the open window thoughtfully. "Sebastian…can you detect any sign of them?" he asked. Ivy scoffed.

"That could take months for the best of demons. Nekos may be weaker than the fire djinn by far…but we have spent most of our existence honing our skills on concealment…when a full breed makes an escape it will take a lot to find them…although if anybody could do it I'm sure your very tenacious butler probably would be the one for the job. I would give **him** a week." She stated. "So this Undertaker…they brought these bodies to him?" she asked. Honestly she was very inquisitive and her mind tended to jump subjects. She would be considered very odd in human society…were all nekos like that? If so they were probably worse than her considering her half human genes.

"Fire djinn?" Ciel raised an eyebrow.

"Oh right…even though nekos are very diverse from moving around and being quite social we still originate from a more eastern setting…we call the demons of hell, fire djinn…because the term 'djinn' is a term among certain eastern religions that can mean many things up to spirits, genies, and mostly demons." she shrugged. Ciel nodded. All of this was quite strange. He looked at Sebastian who seemed to find his reaction to Ivy to be quite amusing. "So then…let's go see the morgue then." she smiled sunnily. Ciel never thought he would hear anybody say that with such a cheerful demeanor.

…

Grell had been momentarily distracted by the pair of cat men bolting from the building without warning. One of them had collided with him in his hurry, nearly knocking him over. He protested at this loudly.

"WATCH IT!"

"Apologies Mis-uummm!…I mean… holy shit…excuse me." he blinked in surprise, eyes wide, before he kept running, and his partner busted out laughing at him. "Did you see that thing?" he had said in the distance and Grell had fumed. Still…he could not be deterred from making an appearance with Sebby and the Phantomhive brat. So yes, he let it slide and hurried to the window. Nothing. So he jumped back onto the roof to add more dramatic emphasis to the meeting. He hurried to the front doors with a giddy flourish and peeked over the edge.

The doors were opening and the customary top hat that Ciel Phantomhive usually wore came into view first. Then…oh yes! There he was! Well dressed, tall, dark, and sexy as ever. He nearly squealed. That was him all right. 'Sebas-chaaan…ah just look at him.' he thought to himself, allowing himself sometime to admire the man of his dreams. Come on ladies you know you would to. Thus he was fairly oblivious to the sound of bickering. 'His broad shoulders…the raven fringe framing his wonderfully sculpted face…those lips, those eyes…and….and…' he cut himself off and suddenly his expression dropped. '…and who the HELL was THAT?' he demanded to himself as not a moment too soon the figure of a soft looking, doll of a girl emerged into his vision griping something about 'common courtesy' to deaf ears.

He supposed that she could be counted as 'pretty' by many. In a cute sort of way…but Grell was not really into the cute look. His ideal beauty was the dark passionate kind. Still… she was there, with them, being pulled along by the arm. By Sebastian no less, as if it were completely normal. So like any self-respecting young lady Grell wanted to know what sort of relationship this girl had with Sebby. His Sebby. He had some observing to do. His shoulders tensed with irritation as the demon smirked at her, stating something that made her turn red and glare.

She was about to enter the carriage and he stopped her. They exchanged a few contrary words before she blinked in realization and hung her head before walking to the front of the carriage. He picked her up bridal style and sat her beside him as he grabbed hold of the reins…Grell was throwing a tantrum internally as he pulled on his own hair. He was following them! Right now!

…..

Due to Ciel's allergies, Ivy had to spend the drive sitting next to Sebastian in the front and it was a very awkward and very irritating trip. "I already know so many things about you and Ciel and how the two of you have come to be affiliated…" She stated. "So…can you answer me something? Why were the Phantomhives among the 'evil nobles' in the first place if they already had such a good living from their candy and toy company? Was all that just for appearances?" she inquired.

"Correct. Although the Phantomhive candy and toy factory has become very popular and very successful, the Phantomhives for generations have always been first and foremost the queens watchdogs." he responded mechanically. "People naturally can not know about their underground dealings, so the Phantomhive company is also the perfect cover up, especially since it has been so popular so far." he added in. She seemed to be in distant thought and yet listening completely, taking in the details around her.

"So how long has he done dealings with the Undertaker?" she asked.

"You ask a lot of questions too it seems." He remarked dryly.

"Hey, I only ask so I can be aware of all the factors around me. I'm in a very vulnerable position here, or have you already forgotten that little detail?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Right. How shall I ever be forgiven?" He drawled. Ivy resisted the urge to roll her eyes and just scoffed once again.

"You can bake me ungodly amounts of cookies and brownies, and then we may call it even." She retorted. He smirked. Ciel in the meantime rolled his eyes inside the carriage as two of the household servants were quite possibly just short of flirting and one of them did not even notice it. Sebastian was obviously having fun, it was not everyday that somebody poked back.

"Cookies. Is that all?" he raised an amused eyebrow.

"Pay attention to driving the coach. Anyway if I need anything else I will let you know once I have said mountain of pastries at my disposal." she stuck her tongue out as usual and turned her eyes back to their path. Sebastian chuckled. Now pretty much ignoring him, she pulled a familiar satin scarf from her sleeve and fastened it over her ears. No need for anybody to see those. For a second she felt an odd presence and frowned, looking around…but she saw nothing. For now she decided to ignore it, but keep track of it just in case.

After a while the three of them stood in front of the morgue…the letters plainly reading out UNDERTAKER above the entrance. Ivy pursed her lips, scrutinizing the place. It did look rather run down, perhaps a bit seedy, but looks could be deceiving she supposed. Still…there was a big skull sculpted above the sign for decoration. Somebody was a very morbid person with an odd sense of humor to say the least. Then again that is to be expected when one spends all day with only the company of dead bodies. Also, he had a presence like the mist hovering over the rank bogs of England, thin yet so potent… except tingling and charged. Ciel did not seem pleased to come see this man.

Still he entered with resolve and calm beyond his years. Ivy and Sebastian entered behind him, silently. "Are you here, Undertaker?" Ciel asked as if it were a routine. At first there was silence then Ivy's ears picked up eerie snickers that became even more eerie as they grew into silent _almost_ cackles. She was not sure what to call it.

"I might have known I would get a visit from you, Earl, and look you've even brought along new friends for me, the more the merrier mmm?" A creepy, excited voice responded laughingly as a coffin propped against the wall was opening. Ivy frowned. What on earth was wrong with him that he spent his spare time sleeping in coffins? His eyes seemed to glow green in the dim light and he had a long mop of whitish gray hair flowing far past his shoulders. A long stitched up scar of some sort stretched across his face. The long hands that pushed aside the wooden lid were adorned with long _black _fingernails. How filthy must they be? Ivy grimaced. Ciel looked over at her momentarily and cleared his throat.

"She is a new servant… she has a valuable part in the investigation that I am taking on." The little earl spoke up. As he exited the coffin Ivy could see that his clothes were loose and the sleeves flowed past his hands, and on his head was a battered old top hat torn open at the top. He giggled as he examined her. The young lady leaned back away as he rushed over to her.

"The earl is picky with his friends. I am curious." he placed a finger on his lips. There was a silence, and Ivy as usual when she felt somebody was purposely making her uncomfortable began to feel the warning signs of anger.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Ivy frowned at him, stepping back. He laughed.

"Of all the people to say such things…hmmm."

Ivy seriously wondered on this man's approach on life. He was beyond odd. His presence was more detailed at their proximity and Ivy could not fathom this man being just a simple human. "Earl Phantomhive and his butler make a very interesting ball of yarn do they not? Little kittens should be careful when playing with such intricate balls of yarn or they may get tangled up." He said. At this the neko girl, blinked at him…was he possibly able to tell that she was…?

"I want to know how many bodies from the incident at the Bedfordshire orphanage were brought to you." Ciel broke in.

"I knew why you came here, but first…" he began to laugh once again. "I would like my compensation very much…you know how much I love a good laugh and I've been without amusement for quite some time." Was he drooling? The neko girl twitched and took a single step closer to Sebastian. A laugh? In spite of his more than odd behavior that request was actually a somewhat admirable one. Ivy had expected him to ask for some kind of fee…money, credit, or favors perhaps. What an oddball.

After watching Ciel struggle for quite some time to make the strange -definitely not human- man laugh, Ivy felt that the situation was hopeless. She had laughed quite a bit during this amount of time however, and would probably never look at her new boss in the same way ever again. He looked tired. She desperately needed some brownie points after stowing away on this little outing. It was clear that the butler was going to take it upon himself to handle the bizarre fee. Ivy couldn't let him. Not this time. It was an opportunity to gain respect and some level of trust from the boy and she'd be damned if she allowed him to get in the way. Before anything else could be done, she jerked forward.

"Alright…let me try next." The butler swiftly turned his head to look at her with a curious quirk of the eyebrow. She simply turned in the opposite direction and waved them off. "Get out, get out." They looked surprised that she dared to try after everything. They were about to say something but were cut off rudely.

"Get out and no peeking or I will box your ears right in front of your important 'connection' here, and throw your butler through that glass window." She snapped, pointing a finger. The very thought tickled Undertaker quite a bit. The boy narrowed his eyes and she smiled, placing her hands on her knees to stoop to eye level with him. "Trust me." She said, all sincerity. Undertaker gave a short chuckle as the two of them left, none too pleased.

They stood outside for what seemed like a while before the building shook with laughter. At this they took it as a cue to re-enter the establishment. As they did, they spotted Ivy in the corner with disheveled hair, dilated eyes, with some odd plant bits in her hair. She was trying to recover from some sort of haze, she herself giggling a bit. Was she drugged or something? "Ah…brilliant…I am very satisfied, earl…yes." The lunatic was sprawled over his desk. "Do not worry about her…she simply knows the look and use of catnip when she sees it." He wiped a tear. Sebastian pulled a face. Catnip? And he had missed it? "For this I will tell you everything you need to know." Undertaker composed himself. Ivy meowed sounding very much like a cat indeed and slapped herself trying to shake herself out of it. Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose as Sebastian pulled her aside and began picking the bits of the herb from her hair.

"We received exactly sixty three guests today…all girls as you know of course, the little ones have had their necks snapped and the old bats well…see for yourself." he said almost gleefully. Ivy was the first to look. Gruesome, very much so, and it was not as though she had never seen these things before growing up.

"Not necessary for the earl to look at." she stated, closing the lid of the coffin. "However…those are definitely the work of claws, big hooked ones too, like a cat…and no visible teeth marks." She folded her arms.

"She is clever earl, could that be why the butler seems to be fussing over a fellow servant? Or is it a lovely pair of eyes and girlish figure that catches his fancy?" he asked tilting his head. Ivy simply responded by throwing a jar somebody's ashes at him, followed by his bone shaped cookies when she missed the first time. He caught them gleefully and began to munch.

"Sixty three? Including me there was a total of sixty-five people in that orphanage. Thus…there is one body missing. May we see the girls?" She asked professionally, after calming herself down. Since their necks were just snapped she would be able to identify each child.

"Let's go into the back then." he motioned.

….

It took a while for her to look at all the faces, and some of them made her heart ache when she came across little girls who had actually looked up to her once. "Do you know who it is that has gone missing?" Ciel asked after Ivy was finished looking. She nodded wordlessly, with a far off look.

"I know her very well…she was a very tomboyish fourteen year old girl by the name of Roxana Carmichael…and her being very independent means that there are a number of work houses she could have gone and hid away in…however I think I have an idea where she went. Unfortunately I do not know where he lives." She folded her arms. Ciel and Sebastian exchanged glances. She was the only survivor of the encounter. Why had the child not come forward to the authorities?

"We will stay at the inn tonight and search for this girl in the morning." Ciel deducted. He was tired now anyway. "And we need to get you appropriate clothes to walk around in, the uniform will not do." He eyed Ivy's appearance. She gave a simple nod. What did she care? She was ready for a catnap, she was suddenly very aware that she didn't remember a thing that went down while she was 'under the influence' and damn it why did the pink elephants keep smiling at her?

….

"Two rooms. One for me and the other for my servants." Ciel said bluntly. Ivy blinked at him as they all stood in the inn's lobby. He smirked at her very briefly. Oh this was just cold. As if he could not afford a third one if he wanted to. He was getting her back for stowing away and threatening him in front of the Undertaker. He knew she could not very well raise a fuss in front of all of these people. Okay… it was okay… she could deal with this. Right? It was the least she could do to suffer in silence just this once.

The innkeeper said nothing about a male and female servant in a room assuming they were most likely married considering they were in the same station and general age group. Or so they thought, by all appearances. Sebastian found it very much to his entertainment. So when Ivy opened her mouth to say something he placed a hand on her shoulder with a smirk, earning a nasty glare as she shrugged him off. She decided that she would definitely be sleeping on the floor, preferably under the bed.

Ivy was pouting sulkily, before snatching the keys from Sebastian. He would have to put Ciel to bed anyway. So as they walked down the hall she gave an annoyed huff before walking ahead to her room. If only she could lock the demon out, after all he needed no sleep but alas it would probably not work out so well. The light in the halls were dim as it was night already, but it was enough for her. The thin carpeting snagged on the bottom of her shoes as she walked, some sort of strange friction that annoyed her. No first class for servants.

She ignored wherever the boy and his butler were headed, instead searching for the number of the room. Stopping in front of the door she sighed and unlocked it before entering. Hopefully Sebastian would rather lurk around the place instead of coming in here to sit around and be his normal aggravating self once Ciel was abed. She was probably quite pale, this was NOT fun. She opened the window for fresh air.

Sticking out her head she took a few deep breaths. The young girl rested her elbows on the windowsill and lowered her face to massage her temples. Roxana Carmichael…she was possibly much closer to Ivy than any of the others…and possibly the most nosy. Outspoken, loud, potty mouthed, and quite rude, but hard working, independent, and extremely loyal and trustworthy. Her thoughts were then rudely interrupted by a blur of red and a double row of shark like teeth. Green eyes popped at the sight and she jerked up. What the…!

"The face of death is at your window~! And who might you be?" Ivy twitched at the sight. She barely allowed herself time or will to think about it before she reacted as she always did when something attempted to intimidate her.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" She snatched the revolver from her thigh holster, shooting all the while. What the hell was that thing!

* * *

Author's Note: Hehehehe cliffy. Next chappie shall be filled with Grellish humor and interaction with Miss Ivy. Then enter Sebby of course. Just in time for Christmas eh? Hope you guys liked it. Review for me peeps. If you have any funny ideas for the grell we all know and love feel free to mention it, it just might help me fill in a few gaps. XD. I'm not THAT fond of Grell but he cracks me up always, a stress reliever when he isn't in an antagonist role. Anywho…Ciao! Merry Christmas!


	15. That Maid, Disturbed

Author's Note: I'm taking forever updating anything lately T_T. Forgive me! UUUWWAAAHHHH! Well anyway here is the next chapter. Let's see what's up with Grell and Ivy now. Ah yes the funniness awaits. I hope that I can make this scene with Grell quite believable and highly entertaining, but mostly I hope that ya'll people enjoy it. Now then…I'm off. Ciao and don't forget to review! XD Thanks for the cookies all who donated.

Disclaimer: If I owned Kuro the ending would have been VERY different. Sadly I don't T_T. I still love them though xD "WE ARE THE PHEONIX!" roflmao.

**Chapter Sixteen: That Maid Disturbed**

"_I can never close my lips where I have opened my heart." _-Charles Dickens

Sebastian rather enjoyed the silence that filled the dark halls of the inn. He had just finished tucking in the young master and was now walking down said halls, going about his business. It seemed that he would indeed have the luxury of relaxing tonight. Or at least he had assumed so. Until he heard a familiar shriek followed by gunshots and a loud whirring sound soon after. He frowned in surprise. Seeing as he apparently now had something to take care of… he was off like a shot.

….

"YOU AIMED FOR MY FACE!" The red haired shinigami protested loudly, barely dodging the barrage of bullets. He jumped away from the window. Ivy was undaunted, now in defense mode.

"NO SHIT! THAT WAS FOR PULLING A BLOODY CHAINSAW ON ME! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!" She demanded, still clutching her weapon. Her temper causing her to jump out after him into the nippy winter air. A chainsaw was quite possibly the worst weapon to pull on a neko demon. Being feline creatures, the loud noise was aggravating, and it excited their tempers on top of the already present threat of spinning blades. This was nothing however, compared to the confusion she was feeling. She was being attacked by an overly red, transvestite, …whatever the hell he was. This day just kept getting better and better. Lovely, even her night was proving to be quite eventful it seemed.

"I AM AN ACTRESS FOR YOUR INFORMATION! This is the thanks I get for taking the trouble to make a decently dramatic entrance for you?" Grell raged. Ivy snarled, staring in astonishment at the being before her. An actress? She shook her head as if trying to clear it. This was not happening. Somebody must have drugged her lunch earlier as a nasty prank. A bloody actress. She rolled her eyes, and her thoughts were cut short by her attacker getting behind her with insane speed. She leapt forward, avoiding the swing of the very painful looking weapon's edge.

"Dramatic entrance? Am I supposed to be flattered now? Guess what _'Madame Butterfly'_ YOU FAIL!" She continued to dodge attacks and managed to just land a kick to his head, halting his assault.

"Enough with the face already!" he bellowed, pausing. "I see that you are not human. That explains a bit more…mmmm still… I see nothing special about you." The red clad being murmured, seeming puzzled as he stroked his chin. His teeth honestly gave Ivy the creeps, and he had the most eerie green yellow eyes.

"_Clearly _you are a man, so I will swear to you now, that I will make you into more of a woman than you have ever been in your life, and that there will be no face for you left over to salvage if you do not turn off that contraption!" She growled. "Why are you even here anyway, 'Madame Butterfly' since you refuse to give me a direct response?" she demanded sternly, repeating the name.

Grell's red coat swung as he stopped abruptly. "I believe I asked who you were first. You know... I was up for a little bit of 'friendly rivalry' but if you insist."

Ivy barely dodged another swing of the chainsaw. This guy was really asking for her to be a bitch wasn't he? "What do you mean rivalry! I have no idea what you are talking about!" Her eyes were in slits. He was going to get it if he did not back off soon. She kicked off a tree just before the saw sliced right through the bark. Splinters flying about in all directions.

"Who are you? What do you have that I don't?" he demanded. Ivy stared in horror that this was actually a question with all of the differences between them. She was more confused than ever now. She tilted her head at him, shaking her head at him in her confounded state before leaping away again.

"Um…I don't know…natural eye lashes? What the hell do you expect me to say?" she responded with a shrug, genuinely at a complete loss. Did he come with an off button? Her comment seemed to only aggravate him further…after all she had meant it to. Her mother's voice rang in her ear in an echo. A memory… _'If you can make a being lose their temper, their control…then you can easily become the master.' _True enough she knew that anger was one of her own problems. Sebastian was the only being to really piss her off in ways she did not believe possible however. He brought out the worst in her. A feral side. That was not the point however.

"Eyelash-! Who do you think you're talking to? You plain, little, vanilla, _child! _You have no right to insult me so when you are so abominably…dull!" he seemed so frustrated, shaking his chainsaw threateningly at her as if it were a fist. Ivy placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at this. It was working.

"See here. If you wish to take offense then by all means do so…I am just quite bewildered and _very_ angry about being attacked in the middle of the night…then again, I could be provoking you on purpose…what is your guess, hm? You he-she, red clad pile of nasty in granny glasses. Did you kill some dried up old librarian spinster for those? Nice coat however…I'm just shocked it has not melted off of your body yet in horror though….red looks terrible on you by the way." She further pushed. His eye twitched visibly.

"That is it!" He stomped his foot. "I will show you the prestige of a superior woman! You are _dead_!" he lunged at her. Perfect. Ivy lunged right back, timing herself carefully. Her pupils dilated into cat slits as she neared her target. He was far too intent on hitting her with that chainsaw. She would take advantage of it. Her teeth grew sharp. At the very last minute she changed into her very small cat form, easily moving past the weapon due to her size and colliding into the red clad assailant's face, effectively knocking him over in the process. "GAAHHH! NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE! KYAAAHH!" He wailed as she clawed at him angrily. He could not very well swing the chainsaw at her, he was more likely to harm himself in the process. Instead he flailed, dropping the weapon and trying to pry her off. It really looked quite pathetic.

…..

Sebastian hung back to observe the scene. Well it was certainly entertaining. Miss Ivy was currently hissing and growling on top of a very familiar death god dressed in red. He smirked listening to his unwelcome admirer screeching about his poor face. He supposed that he should intervene before things became out of hand. It would be troublesome to wait for him to get his weapon back in hand. Neither really noticed as he came over and kicked aside the death scythe aside, until his shadow passed over them that is. They then paused.

"OH SEBBY! YOU'VE COME TO RESCUE ME!" Grell cheered, happy to see the powerful demon. Ivy was plucked off of the humiliated death god. She snapped the string on his glasses by trying to hold onto his face, red beads flew around, and he gaped.

"Miss Ivy, am I going to have to punish you for playing with trash?" he asked calmly as the kitten flailed in his grasp. She hissed at him angrily, Grell's glasses held between her teeth. She spit them back at the reaper who began to scramble on the floor looking for them. "You do not put such things in your mouth." Sebastian reprimanded her as she sulked. He looked at the sorry sight of Grell Sutcliffe and frowned at him, sighing in annoyance. Ivy continued to wiggle. "What on earth are you doing here? Mister Sutcliffe." The demon demanded.

"Wait. Wait a moment." Grell responded holding up a finger while he placed his glasses back on and made himself presentable. Flipping his hair over his shoulder he turned back around to face his crush. "Oh Sebby-chan! I came to visit you! At least I was about to until SOMEBODY picked a fight with me!" He snapped in Ivy's direction.

"WHY YO-….Mister Michaelis…_friend of yours?_" Ivy hissed with frustration, nodding in Grell's direction. She was then placed on the ground and she changed back to normal.

"I'd prefer to call it an…unfortunate acquaintance. Miss Ivy…this is Grell Sutcliffe." The butler responded flatly. She raised an eyebrow.

"I see, and how long have you been there standing in the shadows?" She asked tapping her foot. Was this the reason this gender confused _idiot_ was getting on her case? Sebastian? Stupid demon was even more trouble than he was worth!

"Long enough I suppose." He smiled.

"You're useless."

"Terribly sorry in that case."

Instead of allowing herself to snap at him or attacking his overly red 'friend' again, she took in a deep breath…when an idea came to her head. "Oh it's quite alright…" She suddenly smiled brightly. "…but really Mister Michaelis…you should have told me that your little flame was coming for a visit! I was dreadfully rude to him!" Her green eyes were now sharp with a mischievous and cruel laughter that now lurked behind them. Grell's face dropped in surprise, and Sebastian's eyes narrowed with a stern demand of silence…that she did not heed of course. She simply bounded to stand in front of the lanky death god. "Grell Sutcliffe! I have heard so much about you. I am pleased to meet you, I am Ivy Ashcroft…the newest maid." She shook his hand politely. What a little liar. Sebastian gaped at the sheer cruelty of this situation.

Grell's toothy smile crept onto his sharp face. The hearts were practically visible floating around his head. The demon glared at the little neko. "_Miss Ivy._" he nearly hissed at her. It was clear that she was holding back fits of laughter as she continued her charade.

"Oh don't mind him, he's just being bashful. Is it not adorable?" She waved off the butler with a bright smile. Sebastian's eye twitched, internally grimacing at the look on Grell's face.

"Oh Sebby! Are you finally submitting your heart to me?" he exclaimed, hands clasped at his cheek 'daintily'. Ivy was red in the face holding back the whooping fits of laughter threatening to burst forth from her lungs. This made up for everything she had been through that day. Sebastian's face! He looked about ready to retch. "I knew that you would begin to come around! The offer to forsake your contract and come to me still stands!" The demon glared at the both of them. She was definitely getting it in a moment.

"I have told you that I will never forsake the contract, as the moon remains where it is. I remain Sebastian." he stated.

"Typical that you would swear by the moon, the one thing just as inconsistent as the tides, well what do you expect from a demon." Ivy rolled her eyes, still smirking.

"My thoughts exactly!" Grell beamed. "She speaks my language, Sebby! You would look stunning bathed in red." he told her. Her lip curled at the thought. Red. There was no way in hell. Besides that… what he meant by saying 'bathed' in red…she did NOT want to find out. Freak of nature.

"Perhaps another time." she stepped back. He waved her off.

"Never mind that. My offer to bear your children also still stands of course!" he said, with a blush. Joke was so over. Now Ivy twitched. _What. The. Hell. _

"Wait a minute huh? Ho-…babies…I-…you-…did he just?…" she could barely put words together to express herself. The image of a pregnant Grell in her mind was beyond horrific and well past frightening. "…THAT'S NOT EVEN BIOLOGY! HOW WOULD YOU EVEN PHYSICALLY-" She cut herself suddenly with a retch at that idea. "..Alright now that was a horrible train of thought…I do not want to think about how that would be physically possible." She massaged her temples. "Mister Michaelis…get better friends."

"Hey! It's not that bad!" Grell protested. Sebastian just stood there, looking very upset and perhaps a bit sick. Ivy placed a hand over her mouth and motioned for silence with wide eyes. With a sigh Sebastian walked over to her and shook out her arms, helping to keep at bay the obvious nausea.

"Stop it. I'm fine." she pushed at him. Grell simply gave a jealous scowl at the attention she got without seeking it. It was not just the stupid help with her apparent nausea, it had been like that for the entire day. He had observed it. "I've heard and seen enough." She shook her head, running a hand through her hair.

"So have I." He folded his arms at her. "I must ask you to back off." he stuck his nose in the air. Sebastian now had trouble not laughing at her. Ivy gaped at Grell. Why was everyone so stupid? Twice in one day. How ridiculous.

"LOOK! I do not care about your stupid crush on your _stupid boyfriend!_ You can keep him!" she stomped her foot in frustration. Did this delusional freak not understand plain English?

"Hmph. Good, because when you start making eyes at him, you better remember that I wont let you have him." he stated. Now Ivy felt a vein protruding. Not only was he still crazy but he was insulting her pride as a woman. A _real _woman.

"Excuse me? Let me? Did you just say _let _me have him? IF I WANT HIM I'LL _TAKE _HIM! I stress _if!_" She bellowed. Oh dear. It seemed that things were getting out of hand indeed. Sebastian thought that he had better stop them soon lest they wake the young master…still he was curious to see where this particular tantrum was going.

"As usual Lady Ashcroft is entitled to whatever she wishes." he stated slyly. This made both parties gape. Grell practically fell over. Within a split second Sebastian found himself dodging as Ivy attacked him with Grell's own death scythe. Throwing it at him in a rage. She then forced herself to calm down.

"You know what? I am just going to leave the two of you alone. You need to catch up." She was taking deep breaths. She grinned at the demon's annoyed expression. "Goodnight 'Sebby'. Oh and maybe you can finally ask him about that little idea you had…the one with the um…leather bonds was it? Oh well. " she snickered. He glared at her. As if Grell Sutcliffe needed any sort of encouragement like that. He turned his gaze to the death god, snatching up his chainsaw. Well it was time to get rid of him it seemed.

"Grell-" the death scythe was swiped by garden clippers.

"Grell Sutcliffe. You are not only late with paper work, but are not finished recording all deaths, and slacking on the job." William T. Spears pushed his glasses up his nose. Grell pouted, folding his arms. "We are going back to head quarters right now where we can better deal with this." The dutiful reaper, dragged his red clad compatriot off by the ear. Grell whined and stumbled along the whole time. Sebastian watched them leave only for a moment before Ivy found herself snatched off the ground under the arms.

"I suppose you found that amusing?" he glared. She burst forth with laughter, hanging limp. The neko girl was unable to form words through her fit. He was not pleased. "Did you enjoy yourself?…Was it…_funny…Miss Ivy_?" He asked dangerously. At this point she was covering her face, completely oblivious to the tone of his voice.

She nodded. "I-Immense-ly s-soo…" She was trying to stop but the look on Sebastian's face kept coming back to mind.

"Is that so? Then perhaps…" he spun her around. She blinked at him. "…you will get a giggle from this-" He let go abruptly and she found herself plunged in the icy water of a nearby fountain with a shreik. She was certainly not laughing anymore. Leaping out, she shrieked. Icy water in the dead of winter! She did not bother retaliating, she bolted to get warm before deciding on anything else.

"BASTARD!" She shouted, rushing to inn, the stove in the corner of the room on her mind. Sebastian was satisfied…for now.

…..

"I hate you." Ivy muttered, when a certain demon entered the room with a smirk. She was in her cat form, grooming her slightly damp fur as she sat beside the furnace. The dim light flickering around them. He raised an eyebrow in his usual manner.

"Were you never told not to start something you could not finish?" he asked in mock curiosity. She just turned her back to him and proceeded to work on her tail. It was easier to do this as a cat. Still it was annoying, even if she was very nearly dry. "You are missing a spot." He informed casually, taking a seat in the single chair in the room. She simply slowly turned her head over her shoulder with a venomous look in her eyes.

"You have done enough. Shut up." she muttered, turning back. He continued to smile happily at her. After a while of silence she turned around and snapped. "Stop watching me!" She changed back to her normal form and began to brush out her hair instead. Damn him. He was snickering at her. Creep. She cringed. He was going to kill her in her sleep wasn't he? He stood and laid on the bed experimentally. Ivy turned to look at him curiously. Looking at him she began to giggle. He looked at her with a slight frown, a silent question. She shook her head. "Nothing. It's just that even when you lie down, it's like you have a pole lodged inside of you. Who tries to sleep like that?" She laughed. He smirked.

"Perhaps you can come here and demonstrate the proper method." he responded darkly. She twitched. Pointing a finger she laughed at him loudly.

"HAHAHAHAHA!…Ahhhh…Now _that _is a good one." Green eyes rolled. He chuckled. Passing by she snatched a pillow for herself keeping her distance. "I am fine as I am, _Sebby-chan._" she mocked. Then with a screech she was swung by the wrist to plop down beside him. Hands then planting themselves on either side of her head.

"I don't want to hear you say that _brainless _name ever again." he said darkly, hovering over her. His eyes lit up briefly and her's did the same without her realizing it. "Even if it is far more tolerable coming from you." Large eyes staring up in shock as she trembled, genuinely terrified...yet entranced by the rolling energy that swayed and rumbled above her like a great oak in a lightning storm. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted when there was a knock at the door. Said door opened and a slightly older woman poked her head in shyly.

"Pardon me…I'm here to restock the furn-oh! I am so sorry, m-my husband did not tell me there were newly weds- that is I mean…o-oh d-dear never mind!…A-allow me to get out of your way! Sorry!" The apparent wife of the inn keeper turned red upon noticing the 'lovely couple's' situation, slamming the door in her embarrassment. Sebastian simply looked at her impassively, while Ivy was plain horrified. She glared up at Sebastian who was now looking quite smugly down at her.

"YOU!" She kicked at him, sitting up. He noted that she had the most delightful rosy hue on her cheeks when she was angry or embarrassed. She smacked him with her pillow. "You are the cause of all bad things in the world! Ugh!" Moving to stand she was pushed back down by a laughing demon, scaring the living daylights out of her. "_What are you doing!_" She demanded an answer. He stood up and sat in the chair he had claimed before.

"What sort of gentleman would I be if I had the lady sleep on the floor? Besides that, I have no desire to sleep tonight and I do not require it." he informed. "Pleasant dreams." Ivy stared at him, feeling very worried. He smirked at her again.

"I won't be able to sleep with you sitting there staring at me." she growled defensively. He shrugged innocently. Silence. "Fine…just…_stay-away._" With a huff she turned her back to face him and threw a pillow at him as a final shot. He just caught it, and allowed his eyes to stare out the window in thought. Perhaps…he could get some extra investigating in tonight. He looked back to the now very suddenly asleep neko and decided no…it could wait. He rested his hand on his chin.

….

Ciel wondered why Ivy seemed a bit jittery that morning…and Sebastian? Well he was just being Sebastian as usual. She had told them the name of a chimney sweep she had been familiar with as a child. One by name Wesley Andrews, who used to be commissioned regularly to clean out the fire places and chimneys of the orphanage. He and Roxana according to her had been familiar with one another as well. They were friends. She said Roxana was mildly paranoid and hardly trusted anybody…aside from a few exceptions such as Ivy herself and Wesley. So naturally if she had nowhere to go…this Wesley would be her first choice.

It had not been difficult to find him. Having to rely on one's business meant making oneself available. In any case the whole time she had began inching away from his butler again the way she used to. He rolled a visible blue eye. Who knew what mischief had transpired in his absence. They searched out a small apartment in a tenement building out in the slums.

The young earl ignored the stares he and his butler received. To be so well dressed in these parts one was bound to stand out. Ivy looked to be more among the middle class citizens so folks paid her less mind other than for the fact that she was with them. She had walked ahead of them easily blocking out everybody around her. Her arms were folded and she seemed to be withdrawn into herself. Like how she behaved upon first arriving at the manor. It seemed that she had been reliving a few memories in this area.

They were currently standing at the door of their key witness, in hopes that he would at least know something of what became of this girl. Roxana Carmichael. That is if she were not there. "Perhaps you should let me talk to them first…" Ivy warned. "They are both very…um…hot blooded and they don't like the upperclass." she explained simply. As Ciel knocked on the door impassively they heard an annoyed sound emerge from the inside. Sebastian could hear muttering in a thick cockney accent.

"Awright! I'm comin to the bloody door!" The door was swung open to reveal a tall young man in about his early twenties. His face dropped slightly recognizing their female companion instantly. He had extremely dark brown hair and hazel eyes with stubble coming in on his chin. He was handsome although obviously not the cleanest due to his financial situation. "Ivy girl?" he blinked. She gave an awkward smile and a nod. "Well look at you girlie!" he eyed her prim appearance. He looked at her two companions. "Who are they?" he asked, mostly looking down at the twelve year old boy dressed clad in a nobleman's attire. He stared right back at him with the cold calculating eyes of a business man. What on earth?

"I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive." He gave a no nonsense nod. The chimney sweep blinked in surprise at this apparent 'child's' demeanor. He guessed by appearance that the tall pretty boy beside the kid was his butler. When he turned his gaze to him, he gave him a polite nod with one of them plastic servant smiles that made Wesley sick. This child was a noble? "I am currently investigating the massacre of the all girls orphanage. We have a need to ask you the whereabouts of a certain girl." the boy informed him professionally. Wesley frowned.

"Is that right?" he folded his arms skeptically. "So what you expect me to do, bring you into me 'ouse and feed you tea and crumpets whiles we all sit around and talk about a bunch o' dead little girls?" he asked bitterly. "I think I know who you're asking me for and I am no' about to put her at the mercy of two perfect strangers, if I don't know what exactly it is you want from 'er." he stated.

"So you do know where she is residing?" Sebastian inquired. He narrowed his eyes at the butler.

"You are the last person I'll be talking to…bloody well looking like a mechanical doll. I'll bet you 'ave a couple of very nasty secrets behind your prim, proper exterior. -Yeah a slum slug like me knows big words- You look like a devil to me. Straight from Satan's arse." Wesley had no idea just how close to the mark he was as he leaned against the door frame challengingly. Ivy gaped at him.

"Wesley!" she snapped tugging his arm towards her. He rolled his eyes and looked at her. "This is my supervisor, the butler Sebastian Michaelis…and Ciel Phantomhive is my _employer_." She scolded him. Sebastian only took offense to the last part of the subject's little 'speech'. Thus he frowned at the boy and narrowed his eyes. Since he was only a human, it would be pointless to pay it any mind.

"Fine, fine…I'm sorry then eh?" The young man folded his arms.

"Please. We are only trying to discover the culprits responsible for this. Nobody is trying to gain anything here. Now where is Roxy?" she asked him meekly, making her eyes look as large and devastating as ever. Wesley tried not to look directly at the face, really he did, but he was powerless to it. He sighed and opened his mouth to speak before a voice interrupted him.

"Oi! Wess! Where the bloody 'ell is me grog? 'ave you been pinching from it?" A petite fourteen year old girl burst forth, sporting her own loud cockney accent. Reddish brown hair and honey gold eyes were outshone by her outlandish nature and manish clothes. Wesley let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. She paused seeing figures at the door. She made a bee line for the female. "Ivy! Shit! Look at you eh? Looks like you've been doing good fer yourself." She smiled big, giving said young woman a playful shake, tugging at her clothes now and then. Ivy sighed and looked at Wesley.

"See for yourself. She's been working with me as a chimney sweep, disguised as a boy because nobody would 'ire a girl as a sweep for whatever reason." He shrugged.

"Roxy." Ivy greeted, stepping away.

"There she goes again wiv' the distance. Oi girlie! You should 'ave told us you were doing okay! After you were kicked out I could 'ardly sleep at night." she stated, freezing as she noted the other two. "Who's this then?" She giggled looking at Ciel. "Oi. You really a boy?" she asked Ciel, poking at his shoulder. He swiped her hand away. Ivy shook her head in embarrasment. Roxy turned her gaze to the tall dark butler and smirked with very blunt and open attraction gleaming in her eyes. She never did bother hiding these sort of things. Ivy rolled her eyes. Oh boy! "…And 'ello to you to 'andsome." she winked. "Ivy…he yours?" she asked right away.

"In my nightmares." Ivy responded dryly.

"Right then, you wont mind, if I 'ave a look see then." she giggled mischievously, looking Sebastian up and down. Both Wesley and Ivy exchanged beyond annoyed looks. Ciel simply stood there with a generally unhappy expression as usual.

"We- well…I want to ask you some very important things…about the issue with…the orphanage." Ivy was not entirely sure how to go about asking Roxana about this. Said girl's expression changed momentarily before she nodded.

"Awright then. Come inside." she motioned for them to enter. They did so. "'Specially you, Mister Wonderful. Mmhmm. Blimey I want a piece of that." she eyed Sebastian as he walked past her. The demon was certainly not used to a woman being so blatant about wanting to bed him, and this was not even a fully fledged woman. Just a girl, only a year older than his young master. Puberty. He rolled his eyes. Ivy groaned in humiliation at this point. "'ave a seat." She smiled, ignoring how Wesley was indignant over her not waiting for him to invite in the guests in his own home.

Her expression became grave as she sat across from Ivy. "What do you want to know, hm?" she inquired. Ivy sighed.

"What happened exactly?" Ciel asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"A bunch o' psychotic wankers killed everyone and burned down the only place I had to stay?" She drawled with a grim tone and a morbid sarcastic smile.

"Tch, Roxy." Ivy ran a hand through her hair with a sigh.

"How did you survive, and why did you not say anything to authorities?" Ciel asked bluntly. She eyed the boy with the patch over his eye. They stared at each other momentarily.

Roxana began to laugh at the statement. "Ah rich, you wouldn't believe me if I told you the crazy shit I 'ad to go through that day." she said bitterly. "You think I want to go to the 'appy 'ome anytime soon? I can't be in a place like that! 'Ave their pills stuffed down me gizzard! No! Never!" She snapped angrily. Wesley went over to her and began quietly talking her down. "No, stop it!" She growled at him. He held up his hands in resignation.

"She's been like this ever since she got 'ere. I 'aven't been able to ask anything about the incident." he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. Ivy grabbed her by the shoulders abruptly. Roxy stared at the intense look in the older girl's eyes.

"Trust me. We of all people will believe _anything _you have to say to us. You have my word." she told the younger girl sternly. There was a silence.

"…Really?" she asked, for the first time sounding like a vulnerable teenaged girl. Ivy nodded. The brunette sighed to herself and looked at the little earl who nodded in the same manner. "Well bully, you are in for a story." she warned. The trio smirked at her and at each other.

"Give us a try." Sebastian nodded to her. She sighed and smoothed down her shirt. So it began.

_**Flashback: **_

….It was like any other day. The older girls went about the more difficult chores and the little ones did the easier stuff. Roxana was out emptying the trash when she noticed a group of men being let into the door around at the front entrance. Odd. They never got visitors in groups like that. It was normally couples and older women, most of the time. Curious, she threw out the rubbish and crept inside. Her chores could wait a moment or two.

Most of the girls were moving about the house as the gentlemen made their way, led along by the care taker of the hell hole she was stuck in. They all seemed indifferent to their surroundings other than a few expressing mild disdain at a few things here and there. There were exchanged meaningful glances between them as well at times. She could not hear what they were speaking about. There were too many girls murmuring and she was at a distance from them. The apparent leader interrupted the old fat woman bluntly, perhaps to ask her something. At his expression when the woman responded Roxana became more curious than ever.

He looked somewhat surprised, but mostly…furious, and the more the woman spoke the angrier he became. She crept closer, pretending to walk past and managing to slip into the office they entered, remaining unnoticed as she crawled away. She darted behind the worn drapes of a nearby window to eavesdrop. Hell yeah she would go that low. Phsaw. Tuning in, she began to pick up on the conversation. As she listened she frowned. What were they talking about exactly?

"This is a place for children…older girls are not my responsibility you see, if you ask me somebody had to show her eventually that the world did not revolve around her problems anyway." She shook her grey head. "Perhaps now she will learn the hard way. She behaved as though she had other options besides this place. We'll see about that then, eh?" she shrugged. The silence was unnerving even to the girl hiding behind the dark blue fabric. "Who knows where she could be by now….is something the matter?" the oblivious old bag then inquired. Roxana felt her legs wobble from under her as she heard sounds that were like the low growl of a mountain lion. The sudden fearful shrieks of the woman who had tyrannized them all met her ears…and though any other cautious person would not have moved to investigate…Roxana Carmichael was a compulsive and rash creature by nature.

She peeked only slightly and the splatter of blood hit her in the face much to her shock.

"Bercarius... these were my favorite boots."

Her own hand clamped over her mouth tightly as she ducked back, keeping the violent screams that demanded to be released from her lips at bay. They were monsters! "Disgusting, old withered scum." a male voice rumbled with an animalistic purr in his voice. "May your god have mercy on your vile husk of a soul. I shall take care of your associates in the same manner." Roxana could hear him clearly…but she could not stop staring at the streams of red dripping down her cheeks and now her fingers in a state of shock. She trembled dreadfully. "Come." he ordered the others to follow him and the doors to the office shut.

Slowly, she stepped out from where she hid only to be hit with a wave of nausea at the gruesome torn up corpse on the wooden desk. She gagged and stumbled back with wide eyes until her back in the opposite wall. It felt as though the universe was collapsing. How could such things happen? She sank to the floor, hugging her knees and staring numbly at the grizzly scene. The sound of many little screams snapped her out of it. Her head shot in the direction of the door. The little ones. She began to sob because she knew she could not just leave them. She flung open the doors to find who she could rescue and get the hell out of there. "Silence them they are giving me a migrane…gently please." he added the last part with a bored sigh. She ran in the opposite direction. No way was she going down there. She couldn't.

The sight she came upon of more mangled workers, worked her into a frenzy as she ran as fast and silently as possible. Then a bunch of dead little girls on the stairs killed all her hope of saving anybody. Tears streamed as she feared that she was the only one left. Footsteps began to come from all directions and on pure adrenaline she ripped open an old window, leaping out window so much as a glance back. Landing with a nasty plop into the dumpster she shut the lid and curled into a ball, daring not to move, and began sobbing hysterically from her traumatic experience.

_**End Flashback: **_

"…And then the sound of crackling and burning….swelterin 'eat…the wild orange glow of fire…I ran away and did not look back and made a promise to forget about that 'orrid place before I lost me mind." She whispered. "I found Wess, but why would I 'ave peeped a word to 'im? I accepted the shelter and work and tha' was tha'." Wesley stared in shock at her words. Had she really lost her mind? All was silent in the room. Ciel and Sebastian exchanged glances. Ivy simply gave a sad smile. "Now what? You gonna throw me into the asylum yet?" Roxy muttered, hugging herself.

"No." Wesley said sternly, stepping forward.. "I don't know if any o' this is true but…yer staying with me, no doubts about tha'…we're a team remember?" he told her. "We'll always watch out for each other." He gave her an assuring smile. She smiled back and hugged him around the waist. Patting her back he looked at the other three people in the room. "She…needs me." he said simply. "Please. We don't want to 'ear or speak another word about this. I'm sure this is all tha' she knows. I certainly wouldn't breath a word about this if me life depended on it." he scoffed.

"Thank you…both of you for helping out." Ivy nodded. Ciel simply stood up.

"Sebastian." he spoke up. "We have heard all that we need. Let's go." The butler gave a slight bow at the waist.

"Yes, my lord."

"Yer leaving again Ivy?" Wesley asked his old friend. She gave him a meaningful smile. "Take care of yerself." he sighed in resignation, knowing by the look in her eye that any protest would be futile.

"I promise, I am in good hands." She laughed. "As long as I am here why not give a proper goodbye?" She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye Wesely Andrews." He blinked at her and smiled like an idiot. Ivy shook her head. Both boy and bulter cleared their throats.

"Will you be joining us anytime soon?" Sebastian asked. With a roll of her eyes she followed after them.

….

"So this is a dead end?" Ivy sighed as they walked down the street, getting the boy into the gilded coach. "We don't even know if they have any leads as to where I am." she added, feeling annoyed.

"No. It was not entirely unproductive now we know beyond any shadow of a doubt that Ivy is indeed hunted by her own kind. We now also have a clear estimate of just how serious her pursuer is, so if they have not found her yet, it can only mean that they are at an impasse in their search, otherwise they would have been upon her already." Ciel responded in thought. Ivy tried to think of anybody who would go through so much trouble and only one person came to mine... well... **two **persons. "That will not do if we wish to lure them in. If they have no lead, we must _give _them a lead." Ciel stated, Sebastian opening the door and helping him in.

"How?" She asked helplessly. Sebastian shut the door behind the boy. She folded her arms and pouted.

"We will think of something." he waved it off. "For now. Let us see if the servants have destroyed the manor yet." Ivy sighed and nodded, walking to the front and getting onto the seat without any aid this time. Sebastian appeared beside her in no time grabbing the reins and soon they were off again. On the way, Ciel watched the scenery of the area pass by his window. They rolled past an opera house and he smirked when a thought came to mind. A seed was planted….and the gears in his mind began turning. Wicked, wicked little boy.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay! It's finally done. Tell me what you thought about the Grell scene please. I am seriously thinking about trying that over again but I didn't have time to rewrite it so it stayed the same…for now. Anyway I tried my best to write a cockney accent…it's really hard to write accents…but anywho…I hope the attempt did not bother anybody xD. Now then give me reviews! I love them all. Excuse the grammar issues that I might have missed u_u. About Ivy and Sebby…looking to develop their relationship so…anything funny or cute you can think of? I have a couple xD. Ciao!


	16. That Maid, Foreign Affairs

Author's Note: Alrighty then….so….next chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying so far. I am pleased that Roxy was entertaining to some. Roxana Carmichael brought to you by excessive jamming to lady sovereign xD. Anywho Ivy is totally being stubborn in my head Dx. OH well…she'll come around eventually. (Sebby is strangely cooperative though…go figure.) Alrighty roo, I am moving on to the chappie now. Lots of fun.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Kuro world u_u….anybody who thinks I do has no business reading fan fiction. Now if I see so much as a shred of paper work from you lawyers out there…I'm sending Sebby down to the court house…and you know how much he hates his schedule to be thrown off. Muahahahahhaha!

**Chapter Seventeen: That Maid Foreign Affairs**

_"Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to." _-Oscar Wilde

On the way back Ivy and Sebastian could not help but notice a commotion going on in front of what appeared to be some sort of pub. It was a cold winter morning…freezing in fact with all the snow now freshly blanketing the town they rode through. Ivy blinked at the scene. A bunch of grown men had been beaten rather badly and stripped down to their underwear. They also hung upside down from the roof like freshly hunted deer. Sebastian simply raised an eyebrow and paid it little mind and Ivy was certain Ceil had not even batted an eye at it. "The things human beings do to each other." She rolled her eyes. What sort of dispute had _those _unfortunate men gotten into? Peh.

Enjoying the silence, she held out her hand allowing stray snow flakes to drift onto her glove. She smiled at the white, lacy bits of ice in her palm before they melted. The little half breed was suddenly quite pleased with the thought that once she got back, she could play in the snow with the other servants. She cheerfully smoothed out her skirt and sat straighter, hands on her knees. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her out of his peripheral vision. He smirked at her slightly. She was adorable in her habits and mannerisms, it was difficult to believe that she was oblivious.

"Do I have the snow to thank for your sunny disposition, Miss Ivy?" he questioned, with a tone as smooth as ever. She looked at him briefly then in the opposite direction. Sometimes it was all too easy for her to remember who she was sitting next to on this coach. Fortunately he was focused on driving so he did not pester her…well much anyway. This was Sebastian after all. He could not live without having somebody to make miserable, terrified, or confused. In her case it was pissed off beyond all hell. So naturally when he randomly asked her a question it put her on the edge. Still as usual she refused to give him the satisfaction.

"Well it certainly is not _your _doing, demon." she responded simply. Her smile was ever present. "Does it bother you that I manage to keep in high spirits despite you?" She asked. He scoffed with a bemused expression. Turning his head, he looked at her fully now.

"Hardly. Perhaps I simply adore the color of that pleased blush currently dusting your cheeks as we speak." He chuckled at her sharp expression. She gave a frustrated huff and folded her arms. "Oh? Did it just deepen?" He said in mock curiosity as he reached to move her hair aside. Ivy flung his hand away defensively. Her expression incredulous as if to express her ire that he would dare touch her without permission. He laughed. She was well guarded it seemed. Very few were completely unaffected by his charm and looks. Green eyes narrowed at him for a moment before softening a bit.

"Both hands on the reins, and pay attention if you please!" she pushed his head toward the road, not feeling in the mood to deal with him in the slightest, and completely not comfortable with his driving technique, demon or not. She could hear him chuckle and she bristled. "Showing off is unbecoming." She stuck her nose in the air. He really did ruin everything didn't he? A moment ago she had been so happy to. Now that he had succeeded in making her livid, she supposed she might get some peace now.

"Are you concerned that I will cause an accident?" he drawled. Ivy face palmed. Apparently not. She glared at him over her fingers, wishing ever so badly to rip his face off when she was met by his usual look of smug arrogance and triumph.

"No. I simply did not want you to have an excuse to pretend you did not see when you run over some poor child's puppy, or something of the like." She responded dryly, and no she would not put a stunt like that past him. He seemed quite entertained by the idea and any doubt that might have been in her head that he might do such a thing would have been completely destroyed by that one expression. "I hope you are not picturing that, Mister Michaelis." she muttered, massaging her temples. "You're such a beast." He was enjoying himself immensely. An idea hit him.

"So then if you are not afraid….how will you react when I do this?" he asked, letting go of the reins completely. She gave a short squeak.

"That is not funny, Sebastian!" She shouted. "There are people watching!" The coach jerked slightly as he took back the reins. Ciel's head came out of the window angrily.

"Sebastian! Continue to behave like buffoon up there and you WILL regret it!" he shouted. The boy disappeared back into the window. Ivy snickered at the demon. As if she were a child laughing at her sibling for getting scolded. The boy sat down, muttering to himself about how he knew bringing the neko girl along would be a terrible idea. She made his butler behave more 'frisky' than usual. That flirting monstrosity. He could hear bits and pieces of banter now and then. Shaking his head, he impatiently continued to wait to get to the manor. There was a shrill indignant noise outside. An ocean blue eye rolled dramatically. What the hell were they talking about now?

…..

"It's too big!" Maylene shouted mournfully as she attempted to make the perfect snow man. She had rolled the head from too far away and it snow balled to an even bigger size than the body. Ivy giggled. Her fingers were almost stiff from making an igloo with Tanaka earlier, and she had, had to nurse Finni's shin, and scream her head off at Bard for putting a stone in a snow ball and actually throwing it, but honestly she was having fun. Besides Finni was fine now, running around dancing like nothing ever happened.

"It's fine May." She assured. "We can just used the body as the head…hmmm…unless we leave it like that…then we can call him Sebastian." She snickered at the play on the respected butler's ego. Maylene blinked a few times before getting the joke and laughing, although guiltily. She shouldn't have found that funny but it could not be helped. "It's ridiculous that we have to use a rock for the nose. I refuse. I am getting a carrot this instant, how else am I supposed to portray Sebastian's pointy nose?" the dark haired maid ranted with her hands on her hips.

"It doesn't look like him…" Finni remarked appearing beside them, puzzled. Bard jogged up to have a look see and immediately laughed upon sight of it, wiping a tear.

"Oh yes it does." He wheezed. Ivy smirked triumphantly. "Hold on though! H-he's m-missing something…" Bard was now cracking up as he dug through his pocket. The other servants watched curiously to see what the head chef was about to do. Still cackling like a naughty child, he pulled out an unused cigarette from his pack and placed it on the lower body…effectively giving 'Sebastian' a tiny….

"Oh Bard! That's digusting!" Ivy gaped, trying not to laugh at how little it was. Maylene screamed, scandalized and had a nose bleed. Finni of course was clueless and looked between them repeating over and over how he did not get it. Bard was hysterical. Holding his gut. Ivy could not help but at least giggle ever so slightly. "You're such a pig!" She laughed. "Take it off before the young master sees it!" They both were laughing together now. Maylene simply had her face covered in embarrassment.

"N-no wait! I'm not done yet!" He stopped her. He bend the cigarette breaking it slightly so that it hung limp before falling over in a new fit. Ivy cracked up now. She could not help it, really.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! O-OH MY G-GOD, BARD!" She held her gut. He laughed even harder. "Oh my god stop…take it off now." She pleaded. Maylene was still covering her face, by now holding a handkerchief over her nose. Ivy shook her head, catching her breath. Finally she put Finni at ease with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it Finnian. It is better that you remain ignorant of this particular joke." She promised. The young gardener slumped his shoulders, bewildered. Bard was still wiping tears and sighed about how he was a genius. "I am off to fetch the carrot so, I'll be back." The neko smiled to herself.

"I WANNA COME!" Finni smiled brightly, completely forgetting about being left out of the loop. She sighed at him, her breath fogging up the air, and shook her head at him slightly but still nodded her consent.

"Come along then." She motioned for the boy to follow her. He hurried after her retreating figure.

….

A voice echoed from the Phantomhive manor kitchen as Sebastian made his was through the extravagant entryway to go out a check on the servants outside. Hopefully they were not doing anything too destructive. The voice he had heard however distracted him momentarily. He frowned.

"_KYYYAAAAHHH! I GET IT NOW!" _

"_Finnian!" _

With a long sigh the butler noted that the voices were coming from the somewhere around the kitchen. He decided that he had best go see what the problem was. He pinched the bridge of his nose. The sound of rolling met his ears and running feet. "GOT IT!" He rolled his eyes at the sound. There was a very familiar scream before he was met by something…or rather somebody flying from the top of the staircase. Within a split second of impact -as a single arm wrapped around his head for balance- he deducted that, this kind of force could only be attributed to either Finnian or Ivy….and Finnian certainly did not smell like green apples nor did he have two very comfortable structures on his chest…so…

"Hello Miss Ivy."

…..

Finni had been still thinking about that stupid joke Bard made with the snow Sebastian…and finally he understood it. A certain neko was currently certain that she could kill that boy. He had practically had a panic attack at the realization and sent the tray with the china on it flying down the hall. They both ran after it like their lives depended on it. Finni caught it but stopped it too abruptly and the plates went flying off and over the staircase railing. She had jumped over him and caught them all neatly in mid air before plummeting down…which currently brought her into this nightmarish situation.

Ivy in one had was clutching the china that she had gone through so much trouble to rescue from certain destruction. Wide eyed and frozen in shock. Her other arm was instinctively holding onto her only support…why did it have to be him? Oh Lord and his head was WHERE? "Hello Miss Ivy." His voice was slightly muffled. She screeched and pushed herself backwards only to almost fall. He smirked up at her, keeping her balanced with a single arm. "To what do I owe such an enthusiastic greeting today?" he asked, making her go red.

"It was an accident! Put me down!" Ah if looks could kill.

"Phew! NICE CATCH MISTER SEBASTIAN!" Finnian cheered, pumping a fist in the air from over the railing brightly, relieved that the girl hadn't been hurt. The butler simply smiled up at him and Ivy wanted to die. She would never be the same after this.

"A splendid catch indeed." he responded. Ivy pounded on his shoulder insistently. Kicking out her legs, she realized that one of them was up under his arm.

"_MISTER MICHAELIS!" _She screamed at him with a snarling raging sound that could make the hounds of hell whimper…and you had best believe that he would know that fact better than anybody. He laughed openly before nearly dropping her. She stumbled about to regain her footing, all the while balancing the plates and cups in one hand. The relief she felt over shadowed any sort of rage she could have felt from the gesture. "Finally…I thought I was going to have a heart attack." Finnian hurried down the stairs.

"I have the carrot…here." He said sheepishly. Ivy fumed at him. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the vegetable.

"Carrot?" He looked at her. The half neko pushed the pile of plates into his chest, and folded her arms, letting out a breath before explaining the situation.

"We were making a snowman." she muttered, studying the checkered pattern of the floor tiles. Black and white. Black and white. Finnian piped in excitedly at this.

"You should join us!" He said hopefully.

"I will have to respectfully decline the offer." the demon butler responded with disinterest. Finnian deflated.

"Sebastian is too good to play in the snow like a normal person." Ivy explained flatly with a casual shrug. "We don't need him bringing the party down anyway." She added. "Which reminds me…tell bard to get a stick…a big one…we almost forgot one detail." Finnian grimaced.

"You guys are so mean! What do you have to go using a stick for?" he turned red, feeling very indignant about this whole ordeal. He was not sure he really wanted to know this time. Once bitten and twice shy. Ivy laughed and shushed him. Sebastian probably would not appreciate her and Bard's abstract portrayal of his persona. She would have to give Bard a fair warning about joking around too much.

"I'm only joking Finni…we'll keep it clean this time. It was Bard who did it anyway and I told him to take it off remember?" She patted the sensitive gardener on the head. He smiled. "Let's go back then." She chuckled.

"Just a moment Miss Ivy." Sebastian smirked. She turned to face him with a suspicious glare. He was not going to ruin something else for her was he? Finni simply blinked at him curiously. The look on her face was questioning enough. So he continued. "I believe you owe me something." He smiled in his normal aggravating way. Ivy blinked for a moment before recalling. No…. No! Noooo! She grinded her teeth.

"Can't it wait?" she growled. The look on his face clearly meant no. Damn him and his cruel sense of humor. "Fine…" she gritted out, turning to face Finnian. "Go back with the others Finni…I promised to help Sebastian with something today…I forgot." she said…sweat dropping. The little gardener blinked a few times before protesting.

"Hey!…but it's no fair that you have to work while the rest of us play around today." he declared. Ivy shook her head. Oh boy did she agree but…she really needed him to go. There was just no way to clarify this to him.

"A promise…is a promise." She said with a strained tone of voice. Her fists were clenched at her sides. Sebastian was clearly trying not to laugh at her. "I will be right as rain Finni…I promise I will be back when I'm finished with this task." Her eye twitched. He pouted for a bit before nodding.

"Okay! See ya!" He ran off with the carrot. Ivy hoped he didn't crush it in his grip by accident. She turned to face Sebastian who was smirking at her…she wished he would not stare so much. She kept up a poker face as she walked up to stand right in front of him. Cat ears drooped and she hissed.

"Lets just get this overwith." she muttered and transformed herself. Soon a small, pretty little Maine coon, was arching impatiently against his shin. "Better?" she asked. Sebastian could not help but smile at her as she was. He chuckled and scooped her up, quite pleased as he felt her paw pads.

"Such an unhappy kitty." He clicked his tongue in disapproval. She began to purr when he rubbed her ears. It seemed her ears were very sensitive. He tilted his head at her to look at her face as he walked into the library.

"Shut up." she managed. He scoffed and sat down. Ivy protested a bit as he stretched her over his lap. "You are doing this on purpose." she stated matter of factly. "What are you trying to gain here?" He just nuzzled her belly in response and she flinched in annoyance. He smirked into her fur.

"What makes you think that?" he inquired. He picked her up and cuddled her under his chin. Ivy rolled her eyes.

"Am I to guess that you just want to amuse yourself at my expense? It would not be anything new." she responded dryly. She thanked the fates for being covered in fur, because she could not remember the last time her face ever felt so hot in her life. She noticed the light blush he always had when he played with cats and wished that she could harm him…very badly.

"You are adorable and have such soft fur…perhaps I just like it." he grinned. She blinked.

"I'm what?" she looked up at him sharply.

"You heard me correctly." he smiled at her 'harmlessly'.

Ivy placed her paws over her face. Her life was dreadful. "You do realize that, that is extremely frightening to hear right now, you know that right?" She asked him. He chuckled.

"…and how so?" he asked. "Do you honestly find me so grotesque?" The skeptical tone in his voice made Ivy roll her eyes for the millionth time since she had met him. What a conceited bastard. "I find that very difficult to believe. Am I 'not your type' then?" He was teasing her again…and it was pissing her off.

"Are we honestly going to get into a conversation like this? Shut up! You aren't supposed to flirt with animals, sick bastard." She responded. He simply continued to stroke her fur.

"No….but to be fair. I seem to recall a demand that I treat you like a woman…NOT a cat." he teased. Oh so he had to turn that against her now too. Did nothing go her way? Ever? She involuntarily arched her back. "Enlighten me…" he trailed. "How should a woman be treated? Unless you yourself are not quite sure…you do not seem to strike me as one who has already discovered all of the pleasures of being a 'woman' after all, though I must say you are indisputably female." He was grinning mischievously. Ivy stared blankly at him.

"….I am going to pretend that you did NOT just ask me that question…and hopefully I can wash it out of my brain…You are enjoying this WAY too much." she warned. The neko demon half-breed curled into a furry ball. Looking all the more darling, without meaning to. "By the way, just because you are very typically 'attractive' does not mean that every woman out there is going to be perfectly happy with your attention. One of these days you are going to have your ego deflated visciously and I hope I can be there to see it." She was confident in her prediction.

"Are _you_ calling me attractive then?" he asked.

"Only in the most typical sense. I've always had a thing for the unique however, even if I do not have a particular preference. Black hair is probably found on more than half the population of the earth, as is brown, and your eyes give me the creeps…I will commend you on your height however…lucky bastard." Her tail swished absently. "At the end of the day. Whether I find you attractive or not matters little, because beauty is useless where respect is lacking…and what I respect is one that is powerful without being tyrannical and frightening." She cared little about how much she opened up on this subject anymore.

"Is that so-…" he trailed off for a moment before speaking up again. "The young master is calling me." Sebastian suddenly looked up. How did he know that? He smirked at her surprise. "A contracted demon always hears his master's call." he explained without her having to ask. She felt extremely relieved. "This was a very interesting talk, have a nice afternoon, Miss Ivy." he chuckled. He stood and placed her gently on the ground. Why did she feel so victimized all of the sudden? The demon was caught off guard when he was assaulted with a snow ball randomly in the back of the head. Ivy giggled, closing the window where she had apparently gather the snow from the sill. Already in her normal form. She moved quick.

"Got you! Bard now owes me five pounds." She skipped off to stand at the opposite side of the room. The demon blinked in surprise. "Let me guess, you are now going to scold me for throwing snow in the house." She folded her arms smugly. "Have a wonderful afternoon!" She bounded off before he could say anything else. 'Too slow!' she thought gleefully to herself. Ivy was satisfied, once again oblivious to the results of her impulses. Sebastian's expression drew into a smirk.

…..

"_Watch this you wild, pathetic, chose children of sloth and depravity. _

_England is the motherland of the devil. It steals everything and forces its worthless, rotten and decadent culture on you instead._

_To all the bitch dominated fools of this land, you are the ones who deserve the vengeance of heaven! _

_Now! The day has come!"_

Ciel Phantomhive did not know why her majesty would send him on such a case that seemed so unworthy of his time. Some angry Indian with a vendetta did not strike him as a cause for concern. However, since these people or this person took it upon themselves to bring curses and insult to the name of the crown, he had no choice but to get involved. The letter sat on his desk, plain as day as he waited for his demon to arrive into his office. He had hoped to bring his plan about the neko demons to the table today, however the queen had deemed this worthy of the attention of her evil nobles. It was his duty to look into it. The other issue would have to wait.

"You called my lord?" The familiar voice inquired. The boy grunted in response with a nod. He slid the Queen's letter to his butler, allowing him to look it over.

"Her majesty has a new…'errand' for us, you could say." He declared, linking his fingers under his nose. The butler nodded simply as he read. "Nothing funny this time…like sneaking cat demons along for the trip." he narrowed his eyes. Sebastian smirked slightly but made no remark. Placing the paper neatly back onto the desk he met the young earl's gaze.

"When do we leave?"

….

This time as the butler and earl left the manor grounds they had to join the young master to his town house in London. From there the two headed off on their own to get in touch with one of Ciel's contacts. Ivy was not as adament to go with them this time. First of all, this did not directly involve her or her past. Second, she would rather deal with the servants and make herself some hot chocolate than go walking around chasing bad guys today…and finally…she would rather clean up a horror story mess than sit next to Sebastian for longer than necessary. He was behaving increasingly strange as time passed and it was not good for her health. They had finished the snow man back home…but Finnian shattered it by accident so instead they made snow angels and built a snow fort. When they were done they began a snow ball war. Her and Maylene, vs. Bard and Finni.

She had succeeded in tiring them out and led them inside where they all had some hot chocolate with whipped cream because she bloody wanted whipped cream, they dozed lazily on the couches in the townhouse library. Good. As much as she liked them…if she wanted to explore or check up on anything that needed tending it would be much easier if she did it on her own. When the Earl finally returned, she could hear the doors opening from where she was and the murmur of their voices. The obvious voices of the servants greeting the young master enthusiastically. She smiled fondly. There was a new presence in the house. Several in fact. A friend? Ciel did not make the habit of bringing just anybody into his house. Then more presences came into her scope.

It seemed there was a bit of a commotion. She placed down the duster in her hand and made to head out to greet the apparent guests. "Hello, Miss maid." She blinked. There was a man standing before her with a smile… he had gotten so close. How the hell did he do that? He was sooo tall too! In any other scenario she would have immediately gone into defensive mode. However in this case there was absolutely no trace of malice in his presence. It was warm, glowing and the perfect picture of peace and contentment. She could not help but be at ease. He was even taller than Sebastian, which made her feel even more dwarfed than usual. He looked so different from the Englishmen she often came across. His hair was the purest white she had ever seen…it was not like the coarse aged hairs of an old man either… it was young and soft looking. It was clear that he was a foreigner, dark and tanned…most likely Indian by his accent.

"Wow…" She could not help but marvel once more at his height. He was so lucky! "Hello…are you a guest?" she asked right away. Ciel's voice sounded irritated down stairs and she frowned slightly. The man smiled and shook his head.

"I am but the servant of your guest. My name is Agni…could you perhaps show me the bedrooms?" he asked.

"Wh- I beg your pardon?"

"My master is looking for a bed." He explained jovially and in a friendly manner.

"…Oh! Did Sebastian not already accommodate you?" She asked puzzled. He opened a door and quickly found Ciel's bedroom.

"Ah. I have found it! Thank you for your help. God bless you Miss maid!" He smiled. Ivy blinked and followed after him. He was…oddly likeable. She smiled. He hurried down the stairs to where the apparent guests were. She came behind him curiously. "My Prince! I have found it!" He called, practically glowing. She was trying to tell him that he was mistaken about the use of the master bedroom but her eye caught sight of the other new faces in the room. There was a Chinese fellow wearing traditional Asian garb. Then a boy around her age if not a year or two younger dressed in fine Indian garments. He must have been the Prince.

"Listen when people are talking!" Ciel bellowed. Uh-oh. There was a problem going on it seemed. Said Prince followed after his servant in search of the bed and Ivy frowned at the rudeness of his words.

"Meh, however narrow it is, I have decided to stay here. Excuse me." he brushed past the neko and she placed her hands on her hips with narrowed eyes that followed his form. Great. A pampered, palace brat to wait on. Ick. She did not like this boy very much. He was obnoxious.

"Wait just a moment!" Ciel stomped after him, fuming. "Why must I have to look after you two?" He shouted angrily. Ivy followed after the parade. They seemed to be completely ignoring the boy and taking advantage. The Prince pulled off his tunic and plopped, quite shameless onto the master of the house's bed. This was ridiculous. Why did Ciel take this exactly? Both the boy and his butler seemed far too shocked by this to react accordingly. Sweat dropping and staring incredulously. The teenager without an apparent name grinned at them balancing on his arms.

"Well I could not very well consider staying at an inn. Is it common in England for people to kick out benefactors into the cold?" Was he being arrogant and rude on purpose, or did he seriously believe his behavior to be called for and common curtesy? She exchanged glances with Sebastian. Ciel could barely put proper words together and there was a vein popping on his forehead. After a bit of stuttering and uncompleted sentences he managed to ask.

"Just who the hell are you anyway?" he demanded. The creep was curling up and stretching out on the mattress.

"Me?" he asked with a prideful smile, rolling onto his side. "I am a prince." He said this as though it would automatically make the manor his. She resisted the urge to barf on him, lest she ruin her poor little employer's bed. Sebastian finally spoke up.

"A prince?" He raised an eyebrow. The 'guest' propped himself up on one elbow as his servant, Agni began to introduce him. He was much more polite than his master.

"Who you see here is the twenty sixth son to the King of the princely providence of Bengal. Prince Soma Asman Gandal." he said with genuine pride that Ivy found puzzling.

"I will be staying here for a while, okay midget?" Soma said. Once again taking the earl aback with his gall. Agni seemed so pleased with the situation. Ivy was just completely confused as to how this was happening and why none of them were capable of stopping it. The other servants had been strangely quiet this whole time. Granted she had not said anything either…but that was not the point.

"Then as a symbol of our new friendship, this Agni will serve you some hot chai!" The tall servant cheered. "Chai tea with ginger can not be beat on a cold day!" He informed happily. His aura rippling with delight. He hurried off practically singing…and Ivy could not help but giggle as Sebastian practically leapt after him, possessive of his household role. Finnian nearly gave her a heart attack when he suddenly exclaimed out loud, after such a silence among the others.

"Amaaazing! Are you really a prince?" Oh joy. The others quickly joined in on the rabble. She remained as she was with her arms folded placidly and a calm expression.

"Hmmm. This is my first time actually seeing a real prince." Bard commented, sweat dropping. Even he was interested by this new turn of events.

"I shall allow you to come close." he smiled patronizingly. Ivy was glad when they rushed him and nearly knocked him over. They began to bombard him questions about his country. She watched and rolled her eyes. Her gladness had been short lived considering that he seemed to be thriving on the attention they were giving him…like food for his ego.

"So what kind of place is Bengal?"

"It is a holy country that received the blessing of the goddess Kali and the Ganges river."

"So you're a prince from a holy country?"

"Is it on India's west side?" Wha- West side?...The fuck?

Well this was turning out to be interesting. She would have to grill Sebastian later. "New servant?" The rich looking Chinese man inquired of Ciel, looking at Ivy. "Was the Earl finally in need of some eye candy? I could have obliged." Ciel twitched in response and Ivy hugged herself. Who the hell was this sicko? The earl managed to ignore him too busy staring at the creep on HIS bed…with HIS servants fawning over him in such disgusting admiration. "Anyway. Yah. It seems like there are some lively times ahead of us, eh earl?" The boy snapped.

"**GET OUUT!" **

Just like that…everybody was off like a shot. Ivy walked out of the room at her leisure and tapped her bottom lip, looking back and forth. Now where to? She wondered how Sebastian and Agni were faring in the kitchen. Those two personalities would be interesting to watch interact. She hurried down to the kitchen seeing as she had nothing better to do. Besides she was very social when in her element, and Agni was a very new face.

….

Ivy had soon decided that Agni was the easiest human being to get along with on the face of the earth. She absolutely adored his company. This fact was grating on Sebastian's nerves, although he made no remarks. "So tell me!" She asked helping them to prepare the tea. "What is the scenery like in India…do you often travel with your master?" She asked. Being curious in nature made her a sponge for any sort of new knowledge. Agni smiled obligingly at the sweet little lady.

"Oh no. The prince does not often venture from his palace, except for his cricket tournaments and other occasions." he said serenely. "He was quite enamored when he first encountered snow recently. It is a lovely attribute for the English country. He wishes to allow his mother to see it someday." he added in.

"Snow is incredible." Ivy said honestly. "I've always had a special place for it in my heart." She laughed. It was all quite innocent really. Still Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Is it truly necessary for three people to be preparing tea for three simple guests?" he inquired. Ivy frowned at him Spoil sport.

"Four actually." Ivy felt like being a smart ass apparently. He just gave her an unamused look for a moment or so before going about his business once again. Agni looked at them for a moment with a calculating gaze.

"Well perhaps Sebastian sir is feeling rather crowded then. I shall leave the chai to him." he said, hurrying out. "It was nice to meet you Miss maid-"

"Oh I did not give my name did I? I apologize, Agni. I'm Ivy." she informed shaking his hand. He smiled and nodded.

"I will remember." He placed his hands together and gave a short bow. Ivy watched him leave, upset that the interesting fellow servant had to leave the kitchen just because Sebastian was behaving like a hormonal woman for whatever reason this evening. She sighed. Sebastian simply raised an eyebrow at his sudden retreat. Crowded in a kitchen like this? Hardly. He gaze moved back to the young halfbreed lady who was placing the cups onto their saucers and moving them onto the tray.

"I am guessing that we simply give them sugar…considering that in Asia I believe people do not often use dairy products -though I could be wrong- urgh…does Ciel take cream or sugar in his tea?" She asked, not looking directly at him the entire time. Hmm. "Mister Michaelis you are being too quiet." She said over her shoulder.

"Is that a problem?" He asked. "Does that…frighten you? Am I 'scary'?" He came up closely behind her. Head lowered so that he was level with her ear, noting the cute little birthmark just beneath it. "Tell me little one." Her shoulders stiffened and her hair stood on end as she felt his breath on her skin. She had come to get over her fear of him…at least she had assumed so. Then again…it was only because he could not harm her due to his contract with Ciel. Her body automatically shied away from him yet at the same time she-… she what? Forget it. She would not allow him to manipulate, or terrorize her. She ignored the question and walked around the tray busily with zeal.

"What happened today? Anything interesting?" She asked. "Well besides Agni and Soma of course." She waved off that little detail. His lip quirked. She was good wasn't she? He stood up straight again, deciding that he would not be so easily thwarted next time.

"Nothing of interest, no." He said casually. "Usual dealings with the yard, an attempted mugging, and apparently we've learned that little incident from this morning was actually a repeat performance. I am guessing things went smoothly with the other servants today." He took the tray by the handle bar.

"Nothing out of the ordinary if that is what you mean. Please tell me the would be muggers are still alive." Ivy shrugged adding in the small inquiry. He gave a simple nod. She shook her head. "So you are investigating the very brutal prankster who hung those men upside down. Um... who precisely is that Chinese fellow who reeks of a sickly sort of smoke?" She inquired. Sebastian chuckled.

"That is opium you are smelling. His name is Lau, he is an underground business connection of the young master's. He has been known in the Phantomhive family for years. Still his main business in the trading industry is the selling of drugs such as opium, which he often takes himself." He answered her mechanically. Ah. Well, that made sense. Ivy nodded and opened the door of the kitchen. Sebastian did not really need her to do it but still…she needed to occupy herself in this situation. The last thing she wanted was to pause long enough for him to start behaving like a freak again.

"You and Agni had best get to serving the tea to the others then." She informed. He smirked at her and she shifted her footing. Agni came down the hall again much to her relief. She slipped away.

"You are finished. Wonderful." He smiled. "Prince Soma, is taking quite a shining to your young master. They will be pleased to receive their tea now." Sebastian nodded with a polite smile and a thank you.

"So…all is well then?" he asked with a meaningful look. Sebastian simply blinked at him, completely unaware of what he was talking about.

"I suppose..." he nodded.

"That is good to hear." He smiled. "Miss Ivy is a very sweet girl, and very pretty yes?" He remarked. Sebastian's mood deflated every so slightly, still he could not deny the obvious.

"She _is_ beautiful." He nodded absently. Just what exactly was this other servant getting at? Agni gave a knowing smile and said nothing else. The demon did not feel the need to push the subject in spite of the feeling of festering hot bile in his gut. Only under a contract would he have to put with this sort of nonsense. Sebastian could not believe that the young master had allowed this in the end. However it was not a butlers place to question his master's decisions. He simply busied himself with his job. Humans were odd creatures.

* * *

Author's Note: Enter Soma and Agni! Well…as usual I hope it was enjoyable. I had wanted to add in more about the issue with Ivy's clan. Next time, next time. This whole curry ordeal should prove to be interesting with Ivy in the picture no? xD I hope I got everybody's characters down well. When Soma first appeared like this in the manga, I expected that he would turn out to be a really rude arrogant guy with a bit more intelligence than he displays…but I like the goofball that he is much better ^_^. Ah, first impressions eh? Anywho review and tell me what you guys thought of it.


	17. That Maid, Irritation and Chaos

Author's Note: Okies my peoples. Next Chapter! It is time to see how things play out now xD. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. Gotta love the manga seriously. I am currently typing/cleaning/algebra ball busting. Dx Math is evil. It is the spawn of hell. No offense meant to my Sebby-chan! Now lets get on with le chappie :D. Onward my loves! Read and Review! Most importantly enjoy yourselves! XD As always, Ciao!

Disclaimer: You had to go and do it didn't you? You damn lawyers. Now look what you made me do. I had not wanted to resort to something so dire, but I had to keep my word, and now look…Sebastian used my mother's favorite silverware on you u_u. I mourn my favorite rose carved butter knife (no longer fit for use without gagging). (Sebby how could you?) I ALREADY SAID I OWNED NOTHING! NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE ALL DONE! NOW NOBODY'S GONNA HAVE A GOOD THANKSGIVING! *bolts in tears*

**Chapter Seventeen: That Maid Irritation and Chaos**

"_I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it." - _Clara Barton

Sleep. Comfort. Ciel Phantomhive's only time for peace and comfort. It was dark and warm in his extravagant canopy bed. The fresh, clean sheets felt soft on his skin. His room was empty…as far as he knew. Until of course… "…Ciel sir?" Crap. "It is time to wake up." Was he dreaming? Who was that?

"Uh…Ciel…sir?" He murmured groggily. Who the hell called him 'Ciel sir'? Nobody did. His butler certainly did not. He rubbed his eyes, sleep still beckoning the boy. He flinched upon seeing an unfamiliar form looming over him as he laid on his pillows. What in hell fire…and where the hell was Sebastian? Since when was he ever late in the mornings? Never. So…why…? His vision cleared up just enough to make out…

"Good morning!"

"KYYYAAAAAAHHHH!"

…

"KYAAAHH! My God….Mister Michaelis! Do not do that!" Ivy snapped, momentarily startled by two hands resting on her shoulders, and giving them a squeeze. It seemed that she could not even walk the halls without being harassed. Perhaps she'd been careless this time. It would not happen again. Her heart still thrummed inside her ribcage like a hummingbird's wings. The embarrassing part was that he could probably hear it. He smirked down at her, earning another little scowl from the girl.

"Ah, how rude of me." He smiled with a hand over his heart. Ivy just folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "You seemed to be rather…unoccupied was all, and in such a good humor too." He added. The neko raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Does my good humor upset you? Quite frankly it does seem like it, considering how every time I manage to cheer myself up…you knock me back down all over again. Anyway just in case you believe I was lazing about, you are wrong. Agni has simply been around to help me with a few things thus tasks have gone by much quicker for me." She smiled, checking the butler's pocket watch casually. She frowned when the air felt slightly colder all of the sudden and looked around curiously, wondering if perhaps she had left one of the windows open.

"Mmhmm. How very thoughtful of him, yes?" He paced around her calculatingly. Something went off in her instinct that raised her fur. An alarm of some sort. Her face softened, eyes following his towering frame silently and observantly. It was not precisely fear per say…however there was a calm caution and readiness. You had best be prepared for anything when dealing with a demon after all. He stopped, standing in front of her. Tilting his head at her, he nearly laughed when she did the same thing. She blinked as he leaned over her. "Miss Ivy…." His guttural purr made her shiver involuntarily. Curse the internal demoness inside of her.

What on earth was he doing? "Mister Michaelis…?" She pushed against his chest before immediately drawing her hands back as if burned. He chuckled. There was then the sound of an indignant and angry boy screaming that echoed through the halls. He frowned and stood upright once more. Her ears twitched from under their hiding place and she looked down the hall. "That must be Ciel. Were you not supposed to wake up him?" She moved away curtly, hiding the hard swallow in her throat. She deemed it easier to forget what just happened for the sake of her sanity. What on earth was happening to her frenemy/boss/captor?

"Indeed." With that he was off to check up on the commotion. The concerned neko trailing behind him.

Well it seemed there certainly was a commotion going on in the room as they stopped in front of it to push open the door. Ivy could hear protests already. _"Wh-what are you doing in my room?" _Sebastian opened the door to see what exactly was happening.

"Excuse me, young-"

Ivy peeked her head into the room from under his arm, nearly cracking up at the sight. Poor, poor Ciel. The boy was hoisted in the air by an ever so cheerful and oblivious Agni. The whole time struggling and snarling. "The food will get cold if you do not hurry!" Agni reminded happily. Sebastian stared incredulously while Ivy covered her mouth to keep in giggles at the boy child's expression.

"WAIT JUST A MINUTE! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS-?" he bellowed. He was interrupted by Lau poking his head through the door. Ivy openly hissed at the Asian, retreating to stand in front of Sebastian and away from his annoying vibes. Everything about him she found irritating.

"Oyah, it has been so lively in here since early morning." he remarked. He always seemed to be smiling. At that moment three figures came charging in their direction. The same old chorus echoing loudly from their mouths. Uh-oh. What happened now?

"SEEBAAAAASTIIAAAANN!" Said demon glared at their figures as they approached. Clearly appalled as usual…and humiliated.

"Can the three of you please remember that we are in front of guests?" He demanded sternly. "What is wrong? Did you-?" They did not let him finish and immediately began to explain themselves. Meanwhile Ivy noticed Agni carrying Ciel off…still not dressed yet and figured she might as well interfere. He apologized profusely before explaining what the servants were on about. Giving them a tour. Ivy recalled the situation right away.

"Oh! That's what they are so worked up over? I already saw it. I thought it looked nice, even if it is rather different for English culture. At least it is magnificently done." She shrugged, smiling. The three servants sweat dropped. "What?" She blinked at them, puzzled. Sebastian was looking around at everything, confused.

"What happened?" He inquired. Agni stepped in once again, motioning to his work.

"Ah! It was presumptuous of me, but I have prepared all of this myself!" He informed. The butler blinked in surprise.

"Oh! You shouldn't have, please relax, as you are our guest." he told the other servant, with well practiced charm and etiquette. The foreign butler held up his hands in a placating manner.

"Oh but it is nothing!" He assured. "The prince is of course, excluded. However, I am a mere butler. So I think the least that I can do is lend the hard-working Sebastian a hand." Agni practically appeared to be sparkling.

"How sweet. Thank you! I did suspect that you had something do to with it." Ivy appreciated his efforts clearly. Sebastian looked from him to the other servants and back to him. Why couldn't they be a little more efficient? He could certainly use Agni's assistance. He turned to look at them again.

"Why don't you all kneel down on the ground and beg for even a mere scrap of Agni's talents? Perhaps it would improve even you a little bit." He stated, with one of his plastic smiles. They stared at him blankly before charging the white haired servant and doing so literally. Ivy jumped back in alarm. Sebastian simply walked away with a dark shadow coming over his face.

…..

All was silent at the breakfast table that morning. Normally Ciel did not bother speaking anyway at the table. This time however he found himself glaring at his 'guest' from across the head of his long table, wishing more than all the world for the words to rid himself of the pest. Lau sat beside him on his left, happily freeloading a good meal from his associate.

It was not as though Ciel felt like striking up a social conversation with the older boy. However, he was anxious to be rid of him, thus and therefore there were questions that needed to be asked. A single blue eye watched the tanned prince with disgust as he gorged himself with _his _food. From _his _house Was he actually using his hands to eat? He deemed it best that he did not look directly at the scene lest he lose his own appetite. Sebastian became quite fussy if food was wasted after all. Instead he looked at the food on his plate.

Today's breakfast included prawn curry, and French toast with a tasteful pinch of ginger. The little earl winced to himself upon noting that he could still hear the alleged 'prince' Soma chewing on his meal from all the way where he was. His teeth grinded together, small hand clutching his fork so that he was white knuckled. A vein protruded on his forehead. Finally enough was enough, be it rude or not he was going to ask questions. Now. "So…" He placed the fork down and sat all the more upright. "How long do you intend to stay at my manor?" He asked in his normal gruff business tone.

"As soon as our business here is done." The prince responded through a mouthful of curry. His loyal servant, Agni stood behind him, just as Sebastian had been doing alongside his own master for the meal, with a warm smile on his face. Ciel sweat dropped, noting the way his cheeks were all puffed out like a chipmunks when they go about storing food. He could feel more veins popping out at the prince's response…this was not normal for somebody his age. Really. Even the ever dutiful Ciel Phantomhive was considering taking a holiday to breath from all the stress he had been through. Still he remained civilized.

"…And that would be…?" He asked, unsure if he really wanted to know, but the sooner this 'business' was through, the sooner he could get rid of these two. Lau piped in casually with a smile.

"Hey. Aren't you two looking for someone?" He recalled that when they came across them in the slums, they had interrupted their confrontation to ask the Indian urchins if they had seen a person portrayed in a drawing of their possession. Ciel interrupted at this. Whoever they were looking for had nothing to do with him or his manor.

"So what if they are? I fail to see why that means they have to stay here while they look."

"Oh yes." He answered the Asian trader, completely by passing the boy's protest. "We are looking for a lady." Reaching into his tunic the young Indian aristocrat pulled out a sheet of paper. "This lady." He held up the picture with a pride that was utterly ridiculous for such a terribly done portrait. That was supposed to be a female? Sebastian pulled a face. "Her name is Meena. She was a maidservant back at my palace." The prince explained, still talking through mouthfuls much to the boy and butler's disdain. Ciel sweat dropped at the picture. Yes. It was supposed to be a drawing of a woman. He supposed if one was learned enough they could tell by the bindi on her forehead -which is a sign of feminine energy-, that it was a girl.

"This is…" He trailed, sweat dropping all the more. There were no diplomatic words that he was willing to impart about it.

"I drew that." There were crumbs all over the teenaged prince's face. "I drew it so well that once you see her in person, you will recognize her for sure! Isn't she a beauty?" His voice was filled with confidence and pride. Ciel said nothing in response, only frowned at the supposed 'likeness' of an apparently beautiful girl. He looked over at his butler.

"Sebastian, can you find her with this?" He inquired. The demon sweat dropped visibly and blanched.

"Young master. Even for me that is-…" Trailing at Ciel's expression he relented. It was obvious the boy really wanted them gone…badly. "I will do my best then." Lau took the sheet of paper into his custody to take a look himself. He smiled cheerfully at the illustration.

"Hmmm. I have never seen such a beautiful lady-!"

"Of course!" Soma interrupted. "She is the most beautiful girl in my palace!" He placed his hands together in a traditional means of thanking his host for the meal.

"So…why is this woman in England in the first place?" Ciel spoke up.

….

Soma was being a pest as usual. The day was going as planned…mostly. With so many delays however, that Ivy was surprised that Sebastian was not having hell's equivalent of a stroke right about now. The prince had been here a single day and had already imposed on the manor, tried to kidnap the earl, and mooched food. Now here he was poking at Ciel's schedule. He had been thrown out of the room forcibly by Sebastian during the boy's music lesson. Apparently instead of searching for this girl they were here for, he had decided to spend some time with Ciel for the day.

The young neko girl simply busied herself with working alongside Maylene. "Next it is time for art study." Sebastian's voice could be heard in the background as the two maids dusted and rearranged things here and there. Still life drawing was being taught here it seemed. It figured the demon was capable of drawing too. Was there anything he was incapable of? Besides behaving himself? It certainly was a blessing that Sebastian was so diligent with his job. This kept him busy. "Now. Calmly look for balance and bring out the depth." Once again. Soma. After being quiet enough to get everybody's hopes up for a bit had to butt in once again.

"What?" He piped up, making Ciel flinch. "Drawing a bottle is so boring though, isn't it?" He sat behind Ciel in a chair of his own, Agni standing behind him dutifully with his usual amicable demeanor. "Drawing is always better with a naked woman, right? So…You! Women!" He pointed at the two maids. Ivy's left eye twitched as she glared over her shoulder. "Undress!" Maylene practically jumped out of her skin and she fidgeted nervously, blushing profusely. They both responded simultaneously and differently.

"I…I will only undress in front of the man that I love."

"HA! You are the last person in the world I would do such a 'favor' for!"

"Ah…May I help?" Lau spoke up, hands up and ready to 'aid' the girls. Ivy threw a duster at him in response.

"Listen here, _friend_! So much as touch my apron and I punch your ching chong eye out!" She shook a fist at him. Before either girl knew what was happening both Agni and Soma were lifted off the ground by a very displeased demon and sent flying through the doors once again. Ciel shouting after them with a passionate. 'GET OUT!'. Well hopefully these moments did not have to become routine.

….

"THAT IS IT! I HAVE THOUGHT OF A NEW BUSINESS PLAN FOR YOU!" Oh God. "LOOK AT THIS!" Agni stood behind the prince holding flash cards. By this time Ciel was once again sporting protruding veins on his head. Before him was displayed an image of a round elephant with what appeared to be face paint. "A doll, in the image of the Indian God Ganesh." Soma explained excitedly. "But wait! Get this…somehow…the nose…" He paused for 'dramatic' effect. "Moves!" Another picture with the same elephant, only with it's trunk upright and a vertical arrow with the word 'Up' written beside it. Sweat drop.

"GET OOUT!"

-CRASH-!

….

"Hmph. What time will you be finished?" The bored teenager laid down on the floor belly down with his chin propped up on his hand. There was no pity for the free loading palace brat. Especially from Ivy who was only there because she very badly wanted to see the Phantomhive heir's skill with the sword. Being all about swords and all of their styles, she could not help but to be insanely curious about how good he was. After all, Sebastian was his instructor. She would never mention it out loud, but the little ankle biter looked absolutely adorable in his fencing attire. With black boots that reached mid thigh and a loose fitting shirt with black gloves.

He was trying to warm up…the actual fencing had not quite started yet. The only issue was that Soma was whining and breaking his concentration. "…and just what the hell…"

"AAARRRGH! SHUT UP!"

"…Are you doing?

"I can't concentrate!" The young earl panted, trying to steady his breathing. Soma stared at him as if incredulous that Ciel would react so sharply. What had he done? Noting this, Ivy pondered with the idea that perhaps he had no idea how annoying and rude he was. At least that would mean that there was hope for him still.

"..No need to get mad." Huffing and puffing still, Ciel snatched the second sword away from his butler. Facing Soma, he tossed him the blade, now much more composed than he had been before. The prince caught the handle with surprise.

"If you want my attention so much, than be my opponent." Well this could certainly turn out to be entertaining. The teenager examined the blade curiously.

"I have only studied martial arts such as 'Kalaripayatattu', and 'Salimbam' though…oh well, have it your way." He turned to face the twelve year old boy confidently. Ciel stood ready with a cold blue eye staring distantly. "So, if I beat you… you will play with me?" He smirked.

"Only if you win." The boy corrected. "If not then you must remain quiet, and keep out of my way." Ah, so it was a bet. Typical of pubescent boys. There was a wordless agreement between the two of them. Sebastian checked his watch stoically before speaking up.

"Five bouts in three minutes." He stated. "The one with the highest score wins." Ivy pursed her lips stroking her chin. She stood next to Agni as Lau pranced around with a sword. Was he not supposed to be a grown man? No matter. Ciel had a perfect stance, but it was clear that Soma might as well have been a buffoon at British fencing. After all he said he'd never studied it before. He held the handle with both hands and out in front of him. Fencing requires one steady hand. "So then…let's begin!" She should have said something but…ah what the hell.

Prince Soma charged at Ciel with enthusiasm. "Take this!" He swung the blade to the side, making Ivy face palm. The side of the sword hit Ciel's leg, bending. The adolescent aristocrat looked surprised by this. "That is not a valid point in fencing." Ciel gave a smug expression that had Ivy thinking that perhaps he had been spending too much time with a certain butler. "Too bad!" He executed a lunge towards the older boy who barely dodged with a shout of alarm. Agni looked trouble by all of this and even Ivy began to feel a bit sorry for poor Soma. Being picked on like this.

"Hey you coward! I don't even know the rules!" He glared. Ciel sneered at him.

"It is your fault that you do not know the rules. A match is a match!" He continued to attack. Much to Sebastian's amusement. Watching Soma attempt to handle himself somewhat reminded her of watching a flamingo attempt a polka. This was torture for somebody of her caliber. No way could she see how good Ciel was like this.

"This sword is too hard to use when swinging from left to right!" He protested once again. Well of course! Give her a day or two with that boy and she would set him straight with that sword. Her foot tapped restlessly.

"Thrusting forward is the basic idea of fencing…not to scythe the sword horizontally." Ciel explained briefly. With another swing…the boy saw his opportunity. Right there! "Your torso is wide open!" He called as he once again thrust forward in a classic lunge, aiming for Soma's chest. She felt a whoosh of air as Agni disappeared from her side. He dove into the fight.

"Prince! This is dangerous!" His hand instantly went out and hit the nearest pressure point on Ciel's right arm. It was a very popular Asian method used to disable one's opponent. A temporary paralysis. Everybody froze in shock as Ciel dropped to his knees clutching his arm. His sword clang to the floor. Ivy hurried forward and was pushed back by Sebastian who knelt beside the boy to examine his arm. "Are you alright?" he asked. Meanwhile Agni realized exactly what he had just done in the heat of the moment without thinking. He began to apologize profusely to the boy.

"My body moved on it's own when I thought the prince was going to be defeated!" Soma began to laugh heartily regardless.

"AHAHAHAHA! Agni! You have protected a master like me very well! I praise you!" He slapped a hand on the tall servant's shoulder. Agni looked mortified and hurt. He had not meant to do such a thing. "Agni is my butler! He is mine…thus I win this match!" Soma reasoned triumphantly. Still clutching his wrist Ciel attempted to snap at him.

"That-!"

"Now you shall play with me!"

"Sebastian… let me just see!" Ivy protested, having a knowledge of pressure points she knew how to at least relieve some of the pain until the muscle loosened up. She was never more grateful that she had taken the time out of her day to periodically pinch books to read from the local libraries as a child.

"Oyah!" Lau got everybody's attention twirling the sword in his hand casually. "You should take reprisal for your master. Butler." He tossed said sword towards Sebastian. He caught it with ease. This idea seemed to get the prince's attention very quickly. He liked it. Ivy simply gripped Ciel's arm and rolled up his sleeve with a sigh. This situation was not going very well. Thus she might as well focus on something.

"What are you going to do…Ciel's butler?" Lovely, how many times had he heard Sebastian's name already? Yet and still he could not use it or perhaps he simply did not remember. Sad. Sebastian looked at the boy and let out a sigh of his own. Ivy looked over at him and rolled her eyes to show her disdain for this scenario.

"Indeed…this happened because you were being mean to a novice who did not know the rules." He informed, sounding very much like a parent to Ivy for a moment. Ciel made an indignant sound before being cut off. "However…" Ugh. Men! "When the master is injured like this…as a butler of Phantomhive I can not ignore it." He stood up. "More over, we are behind the planned schedule by ten minutes." He added in and Ivy rolled her eyes dramatically. Of -bloody- course!

"That's your real motive isn't it?" Ciel spoke up.

"Of course it is." Ivy seconded his declaration. Agni vs. Sebastian. Hmmm. This should be actually entertaining come to think of it. "Well if this is going to happen anyway. I shall be very interested in the outcome!" She clapped almost childishly, beaming. "I may as well enjoy the show…good luck to you!" She shooed the demon with a single hand. Now that was very insulting to his pride but Sebastian ignored it for now.

"Agni! In the name of the Goddess Kali, you can not lose!" Soma grinned impishly. The servant addressed dutifully went into a very interesting stance for fencing. Not a very typical one, but sure to be effective if done properly. Sebastian did the same. Although choosing a more classic approach, because that was simply definitive of his persona. How could he do anything else?

"Sebastian! This is an order! Silence that brat." Ciel commanded his butler, now perfectly at ease with the neko kneading the muscle of his forearm to loosen it and gain back more circulation.

"Jo Ajna."

"Yes, my Lord." His eyes met Agni's challengingly. "Now then. Please, kindly go easy on me." Lips drew into a grin. Ivy scoffed. What a cad Sebastian was. Agni was the first to make a move.

"Here I go!"

It was astounding to watch once it truly started. Her eyes followed their moves. They both had such grace and agility. But…Agni was only human! So how on earth could he perform at such a level? Unless Sebastian was holding back…but he wouldn't…perhaps for a short while to make it seem more believable. However, never for this long. He was ten minutes behind schedule after all. Besides it was an order wasn't it? She began to wince here and there. Really, she was becoming far too engrossed by this. Ciel seemed fine enough now so she stood up and paced around the perimeter, watching with a calculating gaze.

Time even seemed to slow at times. For a moment the two of them nearly got each other squarely in the eye and by the look on Sebastian's face he seemed fairly shocked by it. That did it. This was getting good. There was a glimpse of his demon eyes as they danced about each other. A parry, a thrust. Each perfectly executed thrust seemed to only just barely prove ineffective both one against the other. This got her in the mood to practice. Suddenly they moved at the exact same time. The points completely exact as they collided with one another. Rare phenomenon. The chances of the something like that happening were close to nothing! Yet they had managed! The blades bent with the impact and even snapped in half. Two sharp ends flying and twirling dangerously through the air above them. What just happened here? "Oh my, the swords are broken." Sebastian remarked. Was this a …draw? Holy shit!

"So then it would be impossible to compete anymore, thus ending this with a draw?" Lau reasoned. He sounded somewhat disappointed. Honestly Ivy had also wished to see more herself. Both Agni and Sebastian were being praised for their skills now. Nothing new. Green eyes could only blink at Agni in astonishment, she also noted that Ciel was not any different from her. Lost in thought. Agni was once again apologizing to Ciel before she knew it and she then made sure to applaud him.

"I am impressed, Agni!" she beamed. "I never thought to encounter somebody on par with Sebastian. That was absolutely spectacular!" Agni nodded modestly.

"Oh I do not deserve such kind words." He bowed with his hands together.

"Miss Ivy. I do believe you have been dawdling enough." Sebastian spoke up. She rolled her eyes and turned to face him. "Run along to the kitchen before Bard, decides to do something….unwise." He ordered. Ivy glared at him, resenting being treated like some sort of child. Agni blinked at them, looking between the two of them. She closed her eyes calmly and smiled.

"Of course, Mister Michaelis…right away."

….

"The rubble had nothing of use to us. Other than a list of the girls who had been there." A neko lackey spoke to his leader. "We had to infiltrate the police station and searched through the evidence there… the subject-...she could be anywhere by now. Possibly a work house." He said. The young man narrowed his golden eyes.

"In other words. You have nothing useful for me?" He inquired. They all exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. "I did warn you did I not?" He stood up. They backed away from the fuming youth.

"Bercarius." He was promptly interrupted by the nuisance he had no choice but to call his current associate. "He's here. Lets get a move on now." Now feeling much less hopeless, Young Lord Jet Bercarius nodded to him begrudgingly.

"Very well, bring him to me." Green eyes rolled at his snooty tone, but relented nonetheless. The youth turned back to the still prostrated subordinates. He grunted.

"…If I killed you my father would know that I was having problems so no… I will spare you. You ought to be ashamed to owe your life to the likes of, such a treacherous member of the Ashcrofts." He folded his arms. "I think carrying that knowledge alone for the rest of your lives should be punishment enough." They did not respond and instead wisely vanished from his presence.

….

"Alright! I can't lose to that guy from India!" Bard spoke up brightly as Ivy peeled onions at the counter impassively, her sleeves rolled up. "I shall display my wonderful skills today!" He added dramatically, wielding a frying pan. He always seemed to have a cigarette in his mouth. Ivy shook her head and smiled at his antics. Still sometimes she considered the idea that his outward confidence was overplayed in a subconscious way to make up for all of his mistakes. Sebastian walked past and took the pan from him with a single swipe of his hand.

"There is no need for that." He informed, looking extremely annoyed. "I will take care of the preparations. Kindly stand aside and watch." The butler was perfectly clear about what he thought of Bard's 'wonderful skills'. Sadly however, because of this the head chef went on one of his angry rant/tantrums, and you had best believe that they were extremely loud. Well, Sebastian had certainly walked into that one on his own hadn't he? The demon was obviously blocking him out, sweat dropping, irritated and clearly ready to snap. He was thinking to himself clearly. Ivy was getting a head ache.

"SEBASTIAN! ARE YOU LISTENING?" Bard demanded.

"GOD BARD! STOP SHOUTING!" Ivy snapped. Sebastian was simply sighing, possibly getting a migraine of his own.

"Can you please be quiet?" He asked. The kitchen doors opened softly right then and a familiar face poke in through the opening. Agni's usual smile was planted on his face as he emerged.

"Mister Sebastian sir…I hope you do not mind the interruption." He stepped into the kitchen. Ivy honestly wished she could be as carefree as Agni was. Sebastian seemed genuinely surprised to see him there. "I was just wondering if there is anything I can do to help out with-"

"Mister Agni, there is really no need for you to-"

"Oh but two pairs of hands are always better than one!" Agni reasoned with Sebastian. "Feel free to order me around!" Ivy could not help but smile as she finished with the onions and went to wash her hands. In spite of his strange devotion to Soma, and his odd behavior at times, she really did think Agni was an admirable human. Sebastian blinked at him, then smiled.

"In that case, may I trouble you with the preparation of the berry sauce for tonight's fish dish, as well as the cottage pie?" He asked. Wow. That was a lot for somebody unfamiliar with English cuisine. She thought that perhaps she could help him out. Bard looked as though he had been slapped in the face, gaping angrily at Sebastian. Too shocked to move.

"Sure!" The foreign servant confirmed.

"The recipe is placed here." The butler pulled out a drawer and carefully took out several sheets of paper with lovely cursive handwriting scrawled across in neat organized rows. "We shall substitute the meat in the cottage pie with chicken." He assured. This pleased Agni very much.

"Thank you for being so thoughtful." He smiled and gave a nod, taking the papers carefully into his own hands. He looked at the recipe with a sweat drop. Ivy dried her hands and looked at the recipe with him. Bard chose then to get feeling back into his limbs. He stormed up to Sebastian to demand justice. Said butler not trying to hear any of it.

"WHY ARE YOU LETTING HIM HELP AND NOT ME…!"

"Bard, you will just get in the way. Please stay back." This was the only response he got. "Miss Ivy…to the inner kitchen with me if you please." He caught the neko's arm, pulling her from the Indian's side, and leading her along behind him earning a squeak. Bard plopped down onto a barrel, sucking his teeth loudly. He proceeded to sulk as the butler dragged along his unwilling little girlfriend behind him. Her protests, still echoing incoherently to where he and Agni remained, soon faded.

….

"Ugh! Make up your mind, demon." She muttered. "One minute, I am supposed to keep an eye on Bard, then next thing I know I'm being carted off by the arm like a rag doll. I've not even gotten to the cutlery yet." This day was so utterly ridiculous and chaotic. She needed a bit more structure. Sebastian did not look much better. No. Actually he looked much worse. She frowned. "Sebastian…"

"So busy. So busy." He murmured. She tilted her head at him.

"Are you alright?" She asked. He looked at her questioningly. "You look dreadful…and there is something in your presence that concerns me... it's-….wait…are you _hungry_?" she turned him to face her. "How long have you been without a meal?" Reaching up, she touched his face much to his surprise…after all she never did touch him. Her thumb then pushed down his lower eye lid and her face dropped a bit. "My go-…you have been _starving _yourself. For how long?" The neko was astounded. Finally she had put her finger on it. How she had ever missed it was beyond her. So that was what had been bothering her so much. "Never mind." she waved the question off. "I think you need to sit and calm down." She told him. He gripped her wrist. Not painfully by any means. Still it was almost like his touch burned, even as his fingers moved up to grip the back of her hand where it rested against the side of his face. Swallowing she drew her hand back sharply with a blush. "Heh…Sorry." she wrung her hands.

He smirked. She turned away and walked towards a counter, sitting on it. "So you already know more about me, than I do about you and I am not very comfortable with that." Ah, subject changes. "So…I'd prefer if you told me a few things. After all, the more you know or understand about something the less fearsome it seems." She told him. He moved to stand in front of her again.

"Any examples?" He asked.

"Well you know about my favorite food, several pet peeves from trial and error, and…Mister Michaelis what are you doing?" she interrupted herself when he placed his hands on either side of her. Alright…the counter had been a dreadful idea.

"It is snowing outside again." He said casually. "Hmm…you once said the best things in your life happened to you when it was snowing out…tell me…what sort of things happened?" He smiled curiously. Ivy did not look directly at him. Where the hell was this going?

"Many things, some childish and pointless, and others important memories. I first mastered the art of kendo while practicing on a fresh blanket of snow, I was born in December on a snowy day, I got my first sword during a blizzard, and my first kiss on Christmas Eve…although the last one had been more out of curiosity than anything else, etc and so forth." She crossed her legs, effectively distancing him a bit. He raised an eyebrow.

"How exactly did you manage that at the orphanage…and... out of curiosity no less?" He seemed skeptical.

She giggled slightly. "I was about Ciel's age, a twelve year old girl who had never been kissed before. I simply wanted to know what it was like. As for how I managed it, you can ask Wesley the sweep about that one." The demon scoffed with a disdainful frown, conjuring up the image of the sooty youth. "So…now that you know almost every aspect about my interests in the opposite gender, just to be fair you can tell me about yours…but please NO DETAILS. God only knows what you have been doing to women over the years and we can keep it that way. Now…um…what sort of women did -do- you tend to affiliate yourself with? Just in case I'm wrong." He found this question very amusing seeing as he laughed.

"Go on, make a guess…I'm curious." He tilted his head at her. She frowned. He must be joking.

"How am I supposed to know that? If I had to guess, definitely not a human so perhaps a demon. She would also have to be unpredictable since you seem to have the attention span of a four year old when it comes to other livings beings. Other than that I am not sure…perhaps somebody as manipulative, mysterious, and dark as you. Not to mention utterly beautiful and lethal." She folded her arms. He scoffed once again.

"You are perceptive with what you know, but not entirely accurate…most would bore me and as you have once said, beauty is useless…try harder." he chuckled. Ivy rolled her eyes at him. Gah! How should she guess anything about him accurately? She was not that curious!

"Tsk! I am obviously going to get nowhere here. So perhaps I should just ask something else. Since you seem to be bored most of the time, how exactly have you entertained yourself? You find most methods of recreation 'useless' after all which I think is ridiculous because with all the thousands of year that you must have lived you can not tell me that you have done _nothing _pointless for the sake of entertainment. Have you never done anything even remotely weird?" She shook her head at him.

"I suppose tying a cherry stem into a surgeons knot with my tongue could be considered odd…but not entirely useless." He smirked. Ivy blinked at him in shock, turning red. What the hell! Her breath hitched when he moved closer to her. "Honestly though, you honestly have no idea, Miss Ivy?" He drawled. His fingers found a strand of her hair, playing with it discreetly. She was silent, looking at him with wide eyes before staring at her hands.

"I honestly don't even think I want to know anyway." She answered flatly.

"You are more clever than that. I am sure." He lifted her chin. Such a lovely face she had. She blinked for a moment or two. Did he just insult her intelligence? Ugh no that was not the point! Wait a moment…Oh. Did he? Oh! He-…. Oooooh! Noooo! Mercy fate! Anything but this!

"Right well I guess I should start working! Oh! Wait! Did I leave the potatoes boiling?" She practically kicked him across the room, swing her legs over the other side of the counter and landing on her feet. They heard a sudden cry of alarm that sounded an awful lot like Maylene over in the outer kitchen. Sebastian frowned. Ivy placed a hand over her heaving chest in relief. "They must need help out there." She scurried out, the demon following behind. Well, well, well. He grinned.

* * *

Author's Note: Finally! It's done! I would have finished last night, however SOMEBODY *cough*mother*cough* was complaining about groceries and dinner. Thus ended my computer session. So if you wish to blame anybody blame her xD. Poor Ivy. Poor, poor Ivy. *shaking head*. As for poor Sebby…DENIED! ROFL! XD! For now anyway. Hopefully this one was still enjoyable. Let me know if I missed any mistakes. Ciao to all!


	18. That Maid, Playing Dead

Author's Note: New chapter….Phew. Okay I am not going to joke around here…yesterday morning there was a frickin raven outside my window. LOL I don't even know if there are any down here in Florida! XD. Probably somebody's escaped pet. Still I thought it was so ironically funny. Anywayz it is time to continue le story. I hope you guys like it. Have fun and all that jazz. Read on my friends, read on.

Disclaimer: WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME! I OWN NOTHING! Good God you law people never leave me in peace. How the heck are you people even back! I thought Sebastian took care of you! *stares* Holy shit *pointing* They are shinigami! IT HAS TO BE! IT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING! THE GLASSES! THE BLACK SUITS! THE STICK UP THE ASS ATTITUDES! I AM DOOMED! AHHHHH! *runs and barricades door with everything in the house then dives under bed with a teddy bear sucking thumb*.

**Chapter Eighteen: That Maid Playing Dead**

_"A man reserves his truest and deepest affection not for the species of woman in whose company he finds himself electrified and enkindled, but for that one in whose company he may feel tenderly drowsy."_ - George Jean Nathan

"Are they going through troubles?" Agni asked Bard as they prepared the meal to the best of their ability. The ex soldier looked up at him as he chopped the vegetables for a moment. Sebastian never really let him help like this so he was quite pleased with this turn of events. This question however was pertaining to a topic that he himself had began to ponder very often. Thus he was momentarily distracted by the idea that maybe Agni knew something that he didn't know.

"Why? Did they say anything to you?" He asked the foreign butler with keen interest. Agni shook his head. He went back to chopping with a huff shaking his head. Those two.

"Sebastian sir simply seems upset with Miss Ivy and it does not seem as though she has done anything wrong." He said thoughtfully. Bard scoffed.

"Pffft. _She_ is usually the angry one." He laughed. "Sebastian is…really weird, that's all I can say. As for Ivy….for somebody who seems to loathe Sebastian so much, you can find them together an awful lot." He stated. "Their relationship can't really be defined, though we all know it is beyond the interaction of two average co-workers or friends." He stated. Agni listened to him wordlessly. The words 'No details!' echoed from the inner kitchen and they both turned their heads in that direction before shrugging it off. "Sebastian _is _being kind of grabby today though isn't he?" The head chef remarked.

Agni nodded, still pondering to himself. "All suspicion aside, are they not courting? Or is that not allowed?" He asked with concern. Bard laughed.

"I wouldn't know how the young master would feel about courting between his servants…but I do know that if you ask Ivy about anything remotely near it, she is likely to fervently deny it and maybe even threaten you. At least that is what she did to me." He informed. "Deny it though she might however…I don't know. As for Sebastian if you want to find somebody who can fuck up and still be able to cuss him out without getting punched in the head a few times it would be her. Then again she never makes colossal mistakes like us." He gave an embarrassed sigh and went back to chopping zealously.

"_What a delicious smell!" _The familiar voice of a young boy cooed happily as the kitchen door opened. This kid really enjoyed eating. He poked his head into the kitchen and the two men could clearly see him drooling. "What is for dinner today?" He asked with dreamy eyes and a blush. Sometimes Bard worried about that boy. Agni smiled graciously.

"Hello, Lad! You have come at just the right time!" He had an idea for him right off the bat as he lifted the sterling silver pot filled with potatoes. "Are you willing to help out with the dinner preparations?" He asked, his smile cheerful and beckoning. Finnian was surprised. He was asking him to help? Really? Finnian loved the idea of helping in the kitchen, he always had. His love of food saw to it. The thought made him practically sparkle, eyes wide.

"EH? ME?" His happiness bubble was soon popped however, when he remembered just why he had never been allowed in the kitchen in the first place. Sebastian said he did not know his own strength….when he was angry though he called him a mindless destructive force. He was always making Mister Sebastian mad. He sweat dropped a bit. "Um…but…my strength is too great. So Mister Sebastian forbids me from touching anything in the kitchen…" He twiddled his index fingers together in shame. Agni brightened.

"It is good that you are strong! In that case you can use the spoon to mash these potatoes before sieving them." He motioned to the bowl where he emptied the already boiled potatoes. "This is a job that is extremely taxing on one's strength. Can I count on you to do it?" Agni smiled at him kindly. Finni blinked.

"It requires strength? In that case I will do it! I want to do it! Oh please let me do it!" He cheered happily. Bard scoffed and shook his head but could not help but smile at him. All in a days work for Prince Soma's servant it seemed. With a bright 'thank you' from Agni, Finnian was at it quickly, easily mashing the potatoes with the silver spoon handed to him. It was a wonder he did not break it.

"So he is fond of her, no?" Agni deemed it an explanation. Bard shrugged it off.

"I am not going to pretend that I can read that man's mind, but hey if he ever did have the hots for her it would explain a lot right? Terrorizing her like a little boy." He shook his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"Shut up Finni, this is grown up talk!" Bard shook the chopping knife at him. The doors opened again and they heard a small feminine sound. Maylene most likely. Sure enough she appeared in the door way.

"Erm…ah…" She looked around for a moment and entered. Agni turned to face her courteously. Standing tall as ever. Maylene looked up at him. "Where is Mister Sebastian?" She asked, her voice only slightly nervous. Bard rolled his eyes. Why was he not surprised? Agni just smiled.

"Mister Sebastian is cooking in the inner kitchen." He informed her. Bard internally chuckled. It didn't sound like there was any cooking going on down there. She nodded with a mild blush dusting her cheeks.

"Then I shall help to set the table." She smiled brightly now, blushing. Bard could practically see the cartoon hearts floating in the background. She scampered over to the cutlery storeroom, the dinner plates first on her mind. The maid moved a chair over to sit in front of it in order to reach them. "Uhhh…The big plates…and the salad plates." She gripped a pile of large heavy porcelain as the chair began to rock. Her hands were full thus she was unable to stop herself as the chair toppled over backwards, taking her with them. "_WAAAHHH!…" _The clumsy maid tilted backwards, awaiting the inevitable impact and embarrassment.

"DANGER!" In an instant two strong arms caught her. She opened her eyes to realize that Agni was setting her back onto her feet. "Miss maid…I hope you are not hurt, are you?" He inquired thoughtfully. She let out a sigh of relief staring up at him.

"Yes! Yes I am fine." She assured.

"Good. The big plates should be rather heavy for girls!" He explained. "When taking the plates down from a high place, it would be best if you took them down one by one. For your own safety. It would not be nice if you fall and injure yourself." He admonished with a kind smile. Maylene blushed slightly.

"Sure." she nodded. "I understand." Ivy appeared in the kitchen looking around with mild concern. She cleared her throat awkwardly, for some reason not really wanting to look anybody in the eye. Sebastian soon walked in after her.

"Mister Agni." He addressed the fellow servant. "How are things going? Can you cope?" So apparently they heard Maylene shout from where they were. It seemed to either demons that nothing had apparently gone wrong. That came as a relief.

Ivy blinked at them in astonishment. Maylene was polishing the cutlery and not a single one shattered. Bard was working diligently, slicing open what appeared to be a few peppers and making scalded greens out of them. "Yes!" Agni confirmed proudly. "There should not be any problems." He assured the two of them. Finnian jumped excitedly in front of them proudly holding up a bowl of mashed potatoes. As usual Tanaka was off to the side having a grand ole' time. He was in a chef's suit juggling a few veggies.

"Ah! Mister Sebastian! Look! The potatoes that are going into the pie were mashed by me!" He said with all the eagerness of a child. Ivy smiled brightly at him, shaking her head. She ruffled his hair. Sebastian simply stared at the room in what appeared to be a mild form of shock. He sweat dropped. Bard then stepped up with his chest out.

"As for me. I was the one who chopped up the onions. I am now preparing the side vegetables!" He pushed his goggles back and over his head. Maylene sat giddily at the table. The plates and silverware all neatly taken care of.

"I have already prepared the cutlery." She informed girlishly. Clearly she was ecstatic since she usually stuttered and blushed a lot around Sebastian. They all giggled at his expression. Ivy bit her lip looking at them. Agni had been able to manage them so well and still allow them to feel good and accomplished. He put _her_ to shame really. Never mind Sebastian. She moved to their sides to help out where she could. Agni glanced at Sebastian with concern, sweat dropping.

"Mister Sebastian?" He asked, as the butler watched the other servants actually working efficiently on the food.

"…It is nothing. It is just that it is amazing you're actually able to let them be of help." He continued to look at them from the corner of his eye as he spoke to the tall Indian.

"Every one of them are good people who work really hard." Agni said on their behalf. He was currently using a rolling pin to prepare the dough for the cottage pie. Once again Sebastian sweat dropped before he continued.

"Yes…they are not bad by nature…but…"

"Everybody is born with different abilities and purposes in life." Agni informed serenely, placing both of his hands together reverently. "Our calling in life being granted by God." He finished before going back to working. "Us human beings just need to abide by God's will. Naturally and slowly in order to complete what we have to do." Nothing seemed to phase this foreign man. Did such people really exist? "I do not know precisely how to put it across…"

"Mister Agni…you are truly a capable person." Sebastian remarked. Agni lifted his hands humbly, quick not to allow himself to be exalted.

"Oh no! That is not the case! Before I met the prince I was a fool that could have easily been considered hopeless. What I owe to him…can never be repaid in this lifetime alone." He smiled, thinking back. "My family were Brahmins. In the caste system, we belonged to the highest possible caste. The one that is able to serve God. However…things were not what they seemed and the me who grew up seeing my father swarmed by material goods and desires had absolutely no faith in God." Sebastian continued to listen in silence, though he did not see the importance for such things. Humans were different in that way.

Agni continued. "I took advantage of my social status and committed sins everyday. I kept hurting people, and going against God. Finally the day when I had to pay for my crimes came. That was the me whose sins and crimes kept piling up."

Ivy continued to work on the pie with the other servants as she allowed herself to listen to the conversation between Sebastian and Agni. Well…at the moment Agni was doing most of the talking. Which was to be expected. It was not Sebastian's fault that he felt nothing for these sort of things. Honestly the tall Indian butler had a very odd way of seeing things. A God? Soma? Oh come on. Still he was worthy of respect and gave it to others as well…he also managed to have the other servants help him out without causing a catastrophe.

"That day I definitely saw a God emitting a holy light from inside the Prince's body!" He concluded with dramatic emphasis.

"Mister Agni the pot is boiling over!" Sebastian compulsively tended to the situation with an annoyed frown. Agni scratched the back of his head apologetically.

"Sorry…" He apologized bashfully. "Even if it costs my life. I will do anything to protect the prince who gave them a new lease on life." Once again he placed his hands together in a solemn gesture. "I hope to fulfill his wishes in anyway I can."

The two were interrupted by a please little neko girl. "Mister Agni. I must thank you ardently for whatever it is you did for them." She hugged him cheerfully. "For the life of me I have never been able to be of any help to them. I am just happy that somebody managed. I have been nearly driven to tears from time to time managing this manor." She laughed a bit. Agni patted her head.

"It was nothing Miss Ivy as I told Mister Sebastian sir-"

"Miss Ivy, come here." Sebastian demanded, leading her away by the arm. "While Maylene is busy with Bard and Finnian. Set the table. Quickly now. No slacking off." He pushed her toward the tables. Ivy made a few sounds of protest, glaring heatedly. Rubbing her arm, she huffed and stomped over to pick up the nearest pile of forks and knives. Damn him. Agni awkwardly looked between them. Sebastian muttered something with a dark expression clouding his face.

"What? What did you just say?" Agni inquired.

"Nothing at all."

…..

Soma revealed the story of that 'Meena' girl he spoke of in it's entirety during dinner. Afterwards Ivy came to the conclusion that the prince was spoiled as he was due to the lack of attention he had received as a child. There was nobody to deprive him of what he wanted nor to give him freely. All he had were servants. He was lonely. Plain and simple and it had become a sick cycle because of the bratty nature that he had developed. Nobody wants to deal with such a child, yet the reason he was like this was because of that same neglect.

Ciel was lying when he said to Soma that he did not comprehend matters of such a little degree. He knew more than anybody about loneliness. In fact Soma had no idea what real loneliness was like. The young Phantomhive simply disdained this topic.

Agni also seemed to be extremely anxious while this subject was being discussed. She understood why Agni had such a devotion to him to a certain degree now, but they were still so well…different. Perhaps Agni saw something in the prince that she was missing. In any case she could feel Ciel's frustration from where she stood. He had left the room, seemingly calm and impassive, but concealing thoughts that brought him great grief and emotional turmoil. Perhaps she could be of some help to him. She appeared beside him in the hall. He was standing stiffly with his fists clenched at his sides.

"You never even yield to emotion when you are by yourself either." She remarked dryly. Ciel was surprised to see her there. Nothing new. Even Sebastian did not notice her sometimes, and she had nearly given Bard a heart attack on several occasions. "I have never seen a child as hard nosed and grown as you. You really do amaze me, Earl." She smiled at him.

"I am never by myself now." He said darkly. Ah yes that much was true. He had a connection to Sebastian through the contract, she doubted he could so much as sneeze without the demon knowing about it. "Is there something that you need?" He asked curtly. Ivy walked to stand beside him.

"I thought perhaps you could use an outlet. I know your fencing practice is over for the day however, physical exertion always keeps my mind off of…bad memories we shall call it and I promise no criticism from annoying hovering demons." She added in with a smirk. Ciel narrowed his visible eye at her.

"I need none of your pity." He assured. "I have lived as I do for years." Ivy shook her head, and placed her hands behind her back.

"I can assure you that, that is not what this is. Pity is reserved for the pitiful. I thought it could help the both of us out. I have not been able to practice myself today so I am restless and bored out of my mind. I also have not been able to see your true skills with the sword, you are certainly experienced but just how good are you? Come, I will go easy on you perhaps teach you a few tricks." She smiled brightly at him. Ciel gave her an odd look. She smiled a bit too much like Lizzie to be talking like that. Sometimes he found the neko to be a little bit too doll like in the way she used her face.

"Very well. Since I am far ahead of schedule." He agreed.

….

"You are wonderful for a human!" Ivy praised, dancing around him gracefully. The boy was dying from exhaustion. His face had frustration written all over it. "I was honestly losing my mind when I watched Soma use that sword, being very compulsive I could hardly stand it." She informed. Ciel scoffed. "Fencing is a very rigid sport with many rules. I think a fight to the death would not include such a list of regulations." The neko commented. Her mind analyzed topics quickly it seemed.

"I can't do it anymore!" Ciel dropped the sword, panting. Green eye blinked at him slightly surprised as he sat on the ground.

"Already?" Ciel then looked at her like she was completely mad. "It feels as though we just started." She pursed her lips.

"I'm not like you! I'm only human. Sebastian has to hold back during my lessons." He explained, none too pleased. Now it was Ivy's turn to look surprised.

"…But I _was _holding back." She assured, looking at the sword in her hand in puzzlement. Ciel stared in astonishment. Clearly she was not in touch with just how good her skills were in the human world. "I apologize." She sighed. "I simply am still not used to the speed that I have locked away. I _am_ quick you know, even for a demon. I can pick pocket Sebastian's pocket watch if you need proof." The neko laughed at the memory. Ciel was impressed. Did she really manage that?

"Are you lying?" He asked.

"Of course not!" She giggled. "I vandalized it too. He was not happy with me, but the look on his face was worth it." Ciel nodded.

"The only time I have seen somebody catch him off guard like that was when Lizzie managed to tie a pink bonnet onto his head." He informed truthfully. Ivy laughed hysterically at this.

"I can't believe I had to miss that!" She picked up Ciel's discarded weapon from it's place on the floor, sheathing both of the blades. "It is always good for his ego to take a hit from time to time. Healthy. No disrespect meant but your butler is _full of himself._" Ciel nodded simply in agreement, hiding a smirk at the memory of Lizzie's bonnet gift for him. At the time it had not really been that funny but later on he could not help but laugh a little bit at the image of the bonnet on the prestigious demon's head. "Soma is not even as bad as he is in that aspect." She added in. Ciel's expression darkened when the prince was brought up, thinking back to their discussion. Ivy noticed.

"You _do_ understand why he does not wish to be alone that palace." She said knowingly. Ciel glared and said nothing. She sighed. "There is nothing to excuse the way he is. He has to learn many lessons, however…he is lonely. Simple as that." The neko shrugged. Loosening her hair to fix the now messy bun, tying it into a loose braid. "I think you're angry at him for making such a big fuss over such a small loss, when you have nothing left of those you once loved. He can't understand a loss of that magnitude. Nobody can until they experience it themselves." She stated. "I hope you don't find me presumptuous for saying that and please forgive me if I am wrong." Ciel shook his head and simply stood up. Now having caught his breath.

"I am ahead of schedule still it seems." He remarked. "I had best get back to work. I am certain that Sebastian is rather unhappy by now." Ivy rolled her eyes at the thought. Stupid anal bastard.

"If he has anything to say about it, threaten to order him to make him wear that bonnet as his uniform from now on. Or with a week with Grell Sutcliffe." She laughed at the idea. Ciel's mouth twitched.

"Don't talk about such nonsense." He scolded, hiding his face.

"Of course my Lord." She nodded.

….

Soma sat alone in the parlor of the manor in a leather chair. He was brought out of his thoughts as a small rectangular box was dropped before him on the round oak table he'd been currently resting his arm on. A deck of cards. He looked at it briefly then back up at the thirteen year old boy, taking a seat. Ciel Phantomhive spoke up. "It is only logical to assume that you are not familiar with the rules of English Chess am I right?" It was a rhetorical question. Soma was not the only one who could be abrasive. "However, I presume that you will at least know how to play poker." He concluded. Soma stared blankly at him for a second.

"Ehhh?…"

"Today's schedule has come to an end." Ciel's voice was stoic. "Before I retire for the night…I can keep you company." He relented, all the while keeping up a professional air. Soma's face broke into a small smile.

"Ciel-"

"I am not doing this for you." The boy assured sternly. "I am keeping you company only because I have time." Soma held up a hand dismissively to the young earl's surprise. Ciel blinked unmoving.

"I am sorry. I have something planned for tonight. I am different from you I'm very busy you know!" He informed as if explaining something to a small child. Ciel could swear that he lost some hair for a moment. He sweat dropped. His brain unable to process this outrage properly just yet. "Agni! It is time for us to go!" He called his servant, who appeared out of nowhere with the Prince's winter tunic.

"Yes!" The Indian servant complied dutifully, draping said tunic over the teenager's shoulders. Ciel could not help but continue to stare, frozen in shock. His system still unsure as to how to react to this. Soma laughed to himself happily.

"You wont grow well if you do not go to bed early at night, midget Ciel." He reprimanded cheerfully. He waved goodbye over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn around. The boy twitched. As the Prince disappeared the thirteen year old boy sat wordlessly in his chair. He stood up, clenching the box of cards in his hand, effectively bending the cardboard into a crinkled mess in the center. He heard footsteps behind him but could not bother to pay it any mind, remaining as he was.

"Ah! Earl, there you are" Lau's voice penetrated his ears. "I've found it. I've found it. It's-" He stopped as Ciel slowly turned his head to look at him darkly. His aura screaming murder. Several veins protruding on his face. The cards now beyond repair in his grip.

"_**Huh**_?" This was the only sound that came out of his lips yet it clearly translated to a monologue of colorful language and violent threats of death.

"What's come over you, Earl?" He asked, clearly more amused than concerned.

"SHUT UP!"

"Are you in a bad mood?"

"DO NOT FOLLOW ME!"

….

Ivy washed the dishes late that night. Normally it was just Ciel who ate and the other servants…sort of. Today they had guests so there was more cleaning to do. Not much however. Ciel was a very solitary person. She doubted that he would be the type to host a party of twenty or more people. Thank-Heavens. "Good evening, little one." Damn. She took it back. Curse Heaven or whatever master of fate was doing this to her! No! This was not happening. He was not here. She was not alone in a dark room with Sebastian Michaelis who could very easily devour her innards and hide the body with nobody being any the wiser.

Sebastian smirked as she tensed her shoulders and continued to work more vigorously. "That is not nice. Ignoring me like that. I am hurt." He walked around to stand just to the side of her, hands behind his back. Her gaze slid in his general direction before she pursed her lips and continued to clean the dishes with great interest. He grinned, keeping back a few snickers. She shied away ever so subtly. "Am I making you nervous, pet?" He purred into her ear, not taking kindly to being ignore for too long. Ivy gasped sharply and jumped away, causing the demon to dodge a few drops of water. She dried her hands in her apron with a red face.

"Not at all!" She lied horribly. "I will have none of that you understand? And I will excuse your previous behavior on the grounds that you are a starving demon, thus and therefore making you a potential loose cannon as my mother always said." She held up a stern finger. "Anyway, good evening, Mister Michaelis." She calmed herself. "I trust you have a reason for being in here. I am guessing you have already taken the young master to bed?" This was not funny. He had better have a reason or she was leaving this instant. Since when the hell did he call her things like that? He laughed a bit at her reaction.

"You could say that. It is late after all. The young master is certainly in bed by now. Are you not sleepy?" He inquired. Ha. As if he really cared about that. Ivy wanted to throw the dirty water all over his uniform. Bad idea. She did not want to ponder what on earth he would do in retaliation. Instead she huffed, snatching up a towel.

"You are not my father, Sebastian… and I only require half the sleep of the average human being." The neko murmured, quite annoyed. He nodded with a smirk, and there was a silence. He was doing this on purpose. "Mister Michaelis I can not work with you hovering. If you insist on staying, then make yourself useful and wash. I will dry." She muttered. Honestly she simply wanted his hands to remain busier than hers.

"Why certainly." He pulled off his glove with his teeth. Ivy tried not to imagine any innuendos he might be making with such a gesture. She would not allow him to turn her into some kind of twisted minded pervert.

"Thank you, and do me a favor and never call me 'pet' ever again." Was all she said curtly. The butler chuckled and made no response. That had been the longest couple of minutes of her life. When all was said and done she was in a rush to go to bed. When she stepped into the hall Sebastian fell into step beside her wordlessly. She twitched and looked at him. "What now? We are inside a manor, I do not need to be walked around. Even if we were not I still would not need any assistance." Whatever happened to ignoring him? Oh yes. He got creepier when she did that. The demon simply shrugged with a smirk.

"I have nothing else to do, Miss Ivy. Care to give me any suggestions?" He inquired.

"Yes…it involves you doing something very violent, painful, and graphic to yourself with one of the iciles outside." She responded. He placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt.

"You wound me."

"You will live. Sadly." She sighed in frustration.

"I think I prefer this option much better." He informed. Ivy jutted out her bottom lip in a pout. There was a strange sound startling her and she gripped Sebastian's arm reflexively. He raised an eyebrow looking down at her. She looked back up mortified with reddened cheeks and large eyes. "If you were so afraid of the dark you only needed to ask to hold my hand." he teased. She threw his arm away in indignation.

"I just heard something, that's all." She hugged herself and walked a bit quicker. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He easily matched her pace not that it surprised her. He could adapt to any speed he wanted, and she internally damned him for it. Really she hadn't meant to latch onto him like that. It was just sort of…instinctive.

"No need to be embarrassed." He grinned at her smugly. Stupid demon butler and his stupid ego. The neko girl glared at him. Upon catching sight of her door she practically ran to it. Speed walking. Her ears could pick up the sound of his snickering following behind her. It irked her beyond all reason. Opening the door, she reared on him.

"Good night, Mister Michaelis. In fact no. Bad night. Have a _horrible_ night, and I wish nothing but evil on you." She slammed the door in his face. His soft laughter could be heard from inside her room as she fell back against the door. She placed a hand over chest. My God. My _God. _What was he doing to her?

…..

**Another Mysterious Attack: **_A coffeehouse in Piccadilly Circus severely damaged. _Ciel eyed the paper in his hands as he sat up in bed. The headline was plain as day. He wiped a hand over his eyes. "I had hoped that the commisioner Lord Randal had already handled the situation." He remarked, eyeing the content in disgust. "There have been no more attacks on the orphanages naturally so the Queen is most likely less concerned by it now. However we did not tell her the possibility of supernatural beings wandering through England. Thus we can not over look it." He said sipping the tea Sebastian had routinely brought to him. The butler nodded.

"Do you have an idea in mind, young master?" He asked serenely. The young Earl nodded placing his porcelain cup back down onto it's saucer.

"Yes, we must discuss my plan to get Miss Ivy noticed, without it seeming like too obvious of a lead. Our opponents might find that suspicious." He responded. "As for this India business. It seems that whatever brigand is responsible for this, has not yet been apprehended. With Lord Randal's fervent and over zealous effort to capture and question almost every Indian and Anglo Indian, it is just too much of a curious thing that he has not found them yet." Sebastian silently dressed him as he spoke. They both knew what the other was thinking. The only suspects that had not been questioned, were currently staying in the same manor as them.

….

Ciel sorted through piles of invitations from other nobles with renewed disdain and annoyance. Why so many? Lau sat not far away commenting on how popular he was lately. They were discussing Agni and Soma. "That is true enough." He answered Lau's remark that they had been suspicious from the get go. "Still I can not see why those two would cause trouble. There is practically no motive. A grudge against colonial rule? It just doesn't seem likely." He shook his head. "Even if they do have a problem with Anglo Indians returning to England. Attacking them in such a fashion is just too risky. Most of all, if they were criminals why would they come to stay with me of all people? They do not seem all that 'suspicious' now do they?" He sighed.

"I do not think the two of them have anything to hide, young master." Ivy responded from where she diligently cleaned up, making sure to speak softly. "If you are really so suspicious of them, then why not follow them to where ever it is they go during the night." She shrugged. Not a bad idea actually. Lau smiled at Ciel as if to say 'how about it?'.

"Well then Earl. I suppose we should wait patiently for night time to come now don'tcha think?" Ivy knew that Soma and Agni, whatever might be happening, meant no harm what so ever. She could feel no malice coming from their presences. Thus she felt there was nothing to worry about…that she knew of.

….

"So…!" Bard turned to the other servants. "Anybody wanna make guesses on this whole 'thing' between Ivy and Sebastian?" He asked. They all looked at him with proverbial question marks over their heads briefly.

"What thing?" Finnian questioned. Not surprising from him so Bard paid it little mind. Maylene sighed.

"They do act strangely together don't they?" She responded. "I do not know what to think about it. I am sure Ivy would say something to me if she felt anything for him. All she ever does is insult him." The maroon haired maid frowned in thought. Ivy seemed to genuinely wish to have nothing to do with Mister Sebastian despite the minor hints of fascination in her demeanor. The butler in question however, seemed to radiate something unreadable in the way he stood beside her. Like a silent watch dog, or guardian of some sort. Possession perhaps but one could never be sure. Besides Maylene was not about to jump to assumptions. Unlike Bard.

"Hoh, hoh, hoh." Mister Tanaka responded knowingly, sipping tea with a smile. If only the old man would spill his guts. Bard stroked his chin in thought.

"She disappeared with Sebastian and the young master the other day….remember she told us that she had promised Sebastian a favor if he allowed her to come along?" He recalled. "She didn't even elaborate on it…and Sebastian never goes against the young master's wishes." The head chef reasoned. They all light bulbed at his train of thought. "Must have been quite a favor." He drawled. Maylene made a horrified sound.

"Noooo! You can not think something so low of Miss Ivy!" She shook her head, keeping back a nosebleed at the idea. Finnian shook his head genuinely upset.

"You think Mister Sebastian and Miss Ivy would do something bad like that? How could you!" He pouted. Still…they could not come up with any other solution as to what it was.

"Whatever! I'm not trying to suggest anything other than the fact that I think we should start looking into this topic. I'm saying that her stance with Sebastian might be a bit deeper if he would go along with it." He conspired with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. They exchanged glances. "I propose we observe them when they think nobody else is looking." He folded his arms self satisfied.

"You want to spy on them?" Maylene sweat dropped at the suggestion, though she did find the idea intriguing.

"Precisely! Any opportunity that comes up we seize it!" He raised a fist in triumph. Once again they exchanged glances.

…..

Once night time arrived Soma once again left the manor as predicted. With a final "Get some sleep, midget Ciel!" thrown over his shoulder they were both off, shutting the door behind them. Ciel ignored the minor insult to his pride as a noble and called for Lau and his butler.

"Sebastian. It is time."

"Yes, My Lord." The butler bowed at the waist dutifully. As the teenaged prince and his servant made their way through the streets, they were pursued stealthily by three figures hiding in the background. Soma went from place to place with his rough, dreadful drawing, showing it to people and asking about "Meena." As predicted, nobody could give him an affirmative response. The two of them did nothing else and things were getting rather stale.

"Meh, it really does seem that they are just looking for that girl." Lau remarked as the three of them. He, Sebastian, and Ciel poked their heads out from behind a building wall to watch them. Ciel shivered violently in the winter cold.

"In this country, the best place to look for news and information on somebody would be in a club or a pub." He said from under his furry winter hood. "It really seems like they are up to nothing." His two mittened hands clutched the front of his heavy fur cloak. Agni followed behind Soma looking tired and anxious.

"It is now one in the morning." Sebastian checked his silver pocket watch, curtly. He did not seem to feel the cold at all and Ciel hated him very much at that moment. Lucky. "I predict that they will be returning home soon, we should do so as well." It would not do to be seen following them. With that, the trio headed back to the manor to get warmed up and keep watch for anything suspicious, or perhaps start at square one. Whichever ended up being their option.

….

"You are back." Ivy stepped out from one of the manor's balcony's dressed up in winter garbs of her own. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at them. "Oh. It was getting so late, I started to get anxious. I was about to go after you guys before I went insane." She remarked. Ah. That explained her attire. "Did you find anything?" The young neko asked curiously. She was nothing if not the inquisitive type.

"Nothing to be suspicious of as yet." He answered dryly. She nodded, smiling to herself.

"I figured as much. What does Ciel plan on doing now?" She smoothed out her buttoned coat out. The tall butler adjusted his own coat absently before swinging it off and shaking out the snow.

"I must go do what I do best as a butler of Phantomhive. Observe." He hurried off.

"Wait! Ugh." Ivy stomped her foot. Well she would have to observe as well anyway. It began to snow again outside. She crept down the hall as she sensed that Agni and Soma had returned home. Their presences making themselves known in her scope. Agni readied the prince for bed hurriedly. As if in some sort of rush. His presence seemed heavy now. Nothing like his usual self. She became concerned. Soon Soma was tucked safely in bed and she hung back as Agni exited the room and moved down the hall back toward the exit. He was going out again? Agni was hiding something.

…..

"Two forty five a.m." Sebastian murmured to himself from his perch on the cold snow covered roof. He remained low to not be seen by Agni's keen eyes. "As expected. He is moving."

"So you saw him too of course." Ivy appeared standing beside him. "I have to come with you three to see what is happening. If my senses are betraying me I have a problem…so naturally I must know and do not bother refusing because I would just follow you anyway." She informed. He looked up at her with a smirk.

"Yes of course, now you…" He stood and gripped her against his side. "Can come back inside." Ivy yelped as he leapt down and hung upside down in front of the window, startling Lau. "Young Master. He is making a move." The butler informed his master. Ivy twitched, clinging to his jacket, her hair hanging down from her head like a curtain. Ciel rolled his eyes at them through a sleepy haze.

"Good. So now we can-"

"Wait." A voice interrupted them. Prince Soma stood in the door way of the parlor. "You…let me come also…please." He said wearily. "I have been aware for quite some time that Agni goes out while I am asleep. I want to know what he is up to." The young prince explained briefly. Ivy was placed onto her feet by an impassive Sebastian who held her arm loosely. Well tonight would not be boring for anybody at the very least.

* * *

Author's Note: Okies. I can only hope I did nothing too presumptious. This is after all my favorite arc in the manga. (I love Agni! XD). I am also hoping that everybody is in character. Namely Ciel whilst interacting with Ivy. I am not sure if I did that very well or not. I was also in a rush to update so idk if I missed any grammar errors. Now then review if you find you have something to say. Reviews make me happy xD. Ah, Ivy is still being stubborn. Sebby can deal though. He will just have to anyway. Okay so for those of you who have not read the manga. This is probably confusing you so please…read it. If not, then keep in mind that this is a portrayal of the manga and you should be fine. :D Anywayz Ciao!


	19. That Maid, Stressing

Author's Note: Alright continuation. I promise that I will get back to Ivy's issue VERY soon if not in this chapter. As I write this, it is nine days until the newest manga chapter comes out and I'm anxious as hell. T_T. They keep leaving you on steroid pumped cliff hangers lately damn it! There are zombies on the loose! COME ON! What about Aunt Francis and Edward! Argh! They better not die or something. Anywayz hopefully you like this chapter too.

Disclaimer: *still hiding* Damn it! I own nothing! Get that camera out of here! *struggling*…*static*

**Chapter Nineteen: That Maid Stressing **

"_LOVE: The irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." _- Mark Twain

Ciel was cold. In fact he was freezing once again as they trudged through the night in silent pursuit of the prince's now suddenly suspicious butler. His breath puffed in front of him like fog every time he exhaled and bits of white snow floated around them and down to the ground. They had to hide behind the walls of a different manor as Agni entered past two guards and into the barred gates. Clearly he had been expected here tonight. "So… he went inside this building?" Lau remarked. Ciel recognized it right off the bat upon further inspection. Ah…an interesting development he supposed. "This looks like…!" The chinaman trailed off.

"Maybe finally we can see what is going on here." The boy remarked, his expression cold and dark as always. Ivy was clearly impatient as Ciel's unconcealed azure eye could catch sight of her pacing the wall as if debating to jump over it or not. She probably thought that it would be a bad idea to do so in front of Lau and Soma. Sebastian simply stood dutifully beside the young earl as per usual. Soma was clearly anxious looking between the parties present. He took a frantic step forward.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He demanded. "…**Who lives here?**" Lau placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder in a placating manner, he looked as amused and serene as ever with the events taking place. Ciel took in his surroundings as Lau spoke to Soma.

"Settle down, prince. No need to panic." He said with a smile. Placing a hand over his chest secretively he continued. "If you go inside…you shall see…the horrible truth…you…" Trailing off for a second he then added in.. "..And _I, _eh?" Ciel glared and stared at him. After behaving like some all knowing master mind he just…ugh! He always did this…_always. _Ivy clearly felt the same way by the look on her face. She had picked up a rock but a stern look from Ciel and Sebastian made her chuck it elsewhere with a pout, muttering what were most likely a number of obscenities.

"In saying that, you mean you have no idea what's going on either?" He raised an eyebrow at his associate. Lau smiled brightly.

"Yep. So…who lives here?" With a sigh Ciel began to explain.

"This is the home of Lord Harold West Jebb. He is involved in the import of various goods from over seas." He began, stroking his chin with one hand and clutching his cloak with the other. "I've only met him once while off duty…he is rather shady from what I have seen, not to mention his criminal record." Ivy walked back over to the group to pick up this information. Soma seemed to be thinking about this deeply. Lau nodded, folding his arms in understanding.

"Importing goods, eh?" He commented. "Then it seems that he and I are in the same business." Soma still had not quite grasped this. He stroked his own chin with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Why would Agni want to visit this particular kind of person?" He poked in. Ciel continued to speak, undaunted by any unnecessary questions. Agni was not his concern. This case was. He had too many things to worry about.

"He mostly imports Indian spices and teas." The boy stated. "He runs a general store named 'Harold Trading', and he also runs 'Harold's Hindustani Coffehouse'." Ivy had to roll her eyes dramatically at this. Just by the names it was clear that this man they were speaking of was very full of himself. Or just really, really uncreative. She wagered on the first option however. Now Sebastian spoke up to add in his own two cents.

"Mina's name appeared on several of Lord West's papers." He informed impassively. "According to what I read, business mostly took place in the Bengal area. The hanging incident could have hurt the business…however…" The butler trailed off only slightly. "It seems that such damage was avoided due to Lord West being absent while the incidents took place." Hmm, how very convenient indeed. Harold West was a perfect suspect it seemed. Ivy looked at Ciel.

He looked up at the wall critically. "I guess that means we'd better go in then…" Finally!

"If that is your wish." Sebastian bowed and swiftly grabbed Ciel under his arm like a duffle bag, and leapt over the wall. Ciel screaming the whole time. Ivy gaped at them.

"Hey! Sebastian-! Ugh!" She soon leapt right after them, leaving behind two very shocked and impressed human beings. She landed beside Sebastian with a scowl. "Subtlety is not one of your stronger points is it?" Hands on her hips as she tapped her foot.

"I do believe it is much faster this way." He remarked smoothly. "Subtlety is my way of life, little one." She wanted to claw the grin off of his face but settled for rolling her eyes. Ciel struggled until he was placed back onto his own feet. Ivy noted that Lau and Soma somehow managed to scale the walls. Very impressive. Out of nowhere, there was a very loud growl that startled her. Once again she gripped Sebastian's arm for a second before releasing him and internally kicking herself as she noticed the guard dogs. She heard Soma's frantic cries for the earl. The dogs lunged at them and she thought that she might have to kill or disable one or two until Sebastian allowed his eyes the glow and took advantage of his dark shadowed presence to warn them off.

He smirked. "Do you dislike dogs, Miss Ivy?" Pursing her lips and folding her arms once again she just pouted.

"No. I do not dislike dogs…but they dislike _me_ unfortunately." She responded. Soma was astonished that the dogs were backing off, whimpering all the while. Ciel simply stared, bored and unimpressed.

"Hmm. Such cowardly dogs Lord West has raised." The demon commented smugly, touching his tie with an arrogant air to his manner. It was sad how the look suited his features. Ivy really could not imagine a humble Sebastian. It was simply not his nature.

"Yo~! Earl!" Lau's voice called to the troop. They looked up at him and sweat dropped at the sight. "Look over here! Over here!" He twirled a set of bloody _keys _on what appeared to be a senbon of some kind. On the ground around him were the unconscious bodies of the manor guards. After all the trouble they went through…he could have just drugged them all along. They all stared at him. Soma and Sebastian sweat dropping. Ivy and Ciel…enraged. "Aw, come on now I just put them to sleep. It's not like they are dead!" The Asian trader defended himself, still smiling.

"Whatever." Ciel coughed a bit from the cold. "Let's get a move on." It was dark as they entered the manor. An extravagant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the tile floor was black and white but not elegantly modeled after a chess board like the Phantomhive Manor, in fact there were only small black accents on the corners of each square. "No guards inside?" Ciel said, sounding surprised after all the repercussions taken for the outside. Sebastian swiftly turned his head toward the staircase.

"I can hear two people. Let's go." He told the others. The hall they reached was also dark. Dark and narrow as Soma would say. On the walls hung several hunting trophies, like the heads of deer and boar…humans had the nerve to think themselves civilized when they did these things. Oh but if a demon hung a corpse on a wall they would certainly have a heart attack. Hypocrites. Ivy brushed ahead of him as she also heard the voice of a man talking. It led to a single door down the hall.

"You did a good job." At the sound of his voice Ivy noted to herself that the owner of said voice had to be West. They all peeked silently into the room as the door had been left slightly ajar. "Why give me such an somber expression?" He mock crooned. Agni was seated on a two person sofa by himself, staring at the ground clearly unhappy to be there. Pacing around the room, was a blond man in a suit and vest. A smug expression on his face. Between two fingers was a lit cigar, and in his other hand a newspaper. "Take a cigar and loosen up a bit." He offered. Ivy could feel his presence…ew…it felt…how? Slimy? Greasy? She couldn't quite pinpoint it. Agni still said nothing.

"These are Grade A, Havana cigars. I got these babies from James Fox…he has a Royal Warrant you know." He informed, still with a self satisfied smirk. Agni seemed to almost glare at the floor as he still refused to say anything. "Oh well, your loss." Lord West shrugged. "Everything is going as planned. In one week it will all be decided." He gripped Agni's arm. "Only with this 'Right hand of God' will I realize my dream." What dream was he on about? "I've been planning this for three years. So I definitely can not fail." Finally Agni spoke.

"…And…if I help you accomplish this…Mina will.." The moment of truth was ruined however within the next split second as Prince Soma burst forth from where he had been hiding. Nobody had been quick enough to notice and stop him. Damn it!

"**You said Mina?**" He shouted as the door was swung open and hit the wall behind it with a crack. Both West and Agni practically jumped five feet in surprise. Ciel was horrified. Ivy face palmed.

"You fool-" He was quickly silenced by his butler. Sebastian had covered his mouth before their presences could be made known.

"Shh. He would recognize our faces. Let us just wait it out for now." He explained to the boy. Who agreed with nod. Soma grabbed onto the front of Agni's shirt, shaking him.

"Agni! What is going on here? You know where Mina is?" The Prince shouted frantically and in a rage. Agni simply stared at him in shock that he had found him here. Lord West simply wanted to know how the brat got in here. Still he managed to calm himself.

"Ah. So this is your master, Agni?" He inquired smoothly, with a grin. Arrogance did not suit him at all. Soma seemed to agree with the neko's silent sentiment whole heartedly. He glared furiously at the man over his shoulder.

"You…You are the one who kidnapped Mina!" He reared on him sharply pointing an accusing finger. West raised an eyebrow at said finger. "Agni! Beat this man!" The young prince commanded his servant. The normally dutiful and faithful butler just stood there, conflicted, fighting an internal battle. Sweat was beading on his forehead. Ivy wondered what exactly West had done to have Agni on such a leash. Agni who regarded Soma as a God incarnated. "Agni! What are you waiting for?" Soma pressed just as harshly…except with the first hints of apprehension in his voice. He knew something was wrong.

"Heh." West grinned darkly at the prince, from where he leaned casually against the arm rest of a sofa. "Agni. Throw out this fussy prince." He commanded snobbishly. Waving Soma off with a superior air. Said prince was taken aback.

"Huh?" Looking at Agni…he looked even worse than he had before.

"Can't you hear me?" The arrogant aristocrat pushed, clearly amused by his turmoil. How disgusting.

"It seems they are starting to argue." Sebastian spoke softly as to not make too much noise. Ivy looked at him as if to say 'Starting to? Where have you been all this time?' Ciel stood by anxious, annoyed, and just plain impatient to get this whole ordeal over with. Lau took this opportunity to speak up.

"Well back to what we were discussing before, it seems that Lord West really is more than involved. It also seems like this has something to do with the black market. So…then, naturally this is the Earl's jurisdiction." He reasoned. Ah, well that was logical of him at least. Ciel looked at him out of his peripheral scope.

"Indeed." He nodded in agreement. "Reporting this to the yard could be problematic perhaps we should just go home now….hmm…that would be good. However, I have another idea. I want to watch West for a little bit more." The boy told his companions. "This time I will 'save' that foolish prince." He leaned to continue peeking. Ivy nodded.

"But wont you be recognized?" She asked with concern.

"Yes." Ciel nodded. Sebastian once again stepped up to the plate.

"Leave it to me." There was that smirk again. "I have a good idea."

…..

"You jerk!" Soma shouted, grabbing Harold West by the lapels of his jacket. "What have you done?" Why would Agni be acting this way? Strong arms gripped him under his own and he was being pulled away from the English man by Agni. Soma's eyes widened in shock.

"Please just stop!" Agni shouted. Was he begging?

"Let go of me, Agni! Why are you doing what this jerk says?" He shouted, continuing to glare darkly at the man kidnapped his servant. West glared back at the boy, examining the fabric of his suit. A vein protruding on his temple. Soma wished that the bastard would just die.

"Darn! You put a crease in my new Gieves and Hawkes suit!" He shouted at the young man currently being restrained, still shouting and demanding to be released like some little fool who still believed he had any authority on British soil. "Agni!" He called the tall servant's attention, who quickly looked up at him startled as he continued to hold the raging boy back. "Beat the voice out of this prince!" Now Soma froze. There was no way he could very well take a beating from Agni. West grinned like a cat cornering a mouse. Agni stared, once again at a loss.

"Haha. What's wrong? I'm not asking you to kill him, I just want him to shut up. Am I not such a kind benefactor?" He smirked. Soma felt his stomach churning, nausea. What was happening to his world? It was falling apart before him! His once loyal and kind servant raised a trembling hand to him.

"Agni…" He trailed, taking a step back nervously, sweat now beading on his own forehead.

"Agni." West repeated almost in mimicry. A smug grin. This could not be happening. Agni's bandaged hand, blessed by God swung at him. Just as he was expecting the impact of a powerful blow, he was pushed backwards by a blur of black and…._antlers_? What the hell! Agni looked equally at a loss. A man in a suit…with a deer's head? Both Prince and servant stared blankly at him. West was even more freaked out it seemed.

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT?" He screamed. The "deer" turned his head to look at the rich Lord.

"I am a deer sent to collect the Prince." Ivy thought she was going to literally die laughing from the her hiding place. Soma and Agni were frozen in one position, confused as hell. Didn't either of them recognize his voice? Wow. It did not help that Lau apparently saw it as an ingenious idea either. Plus Ciel's embarrassed, sweat dropping expression just added the cherry on top.

"This is probably one of the prince's spies! Agni! Destroy him!" The paranoid Anglo Indian trader pointed a finger at this apparent deer. Agni turned to look at West incredulously. What on earth did he expect him to do?

"Destroy him? How-…I can't-!"

"Shut up! Do you want me to take back my promise? I ORDER YOU TO DO THIS!" He left no room for any sort of reasoning. "DO IT NOW!" Agni grabbed his head, falling to his knees. Tears began to fall…but it was not just tears…he was bleeding. His voice came out once again. Strained and in utter pain.

"I…I…My God…I only wanted to serve him…This right hand I only use for his sake…I've chosen to-…This sin of betrayal…" Soma watched him in complete horror, knowing what was about to happen.

"_Agni! No!" _He tried to stop it, knowing it was futile.

"Please forgive me." Those were the last words he spoke before tearing the bandages from his right hand with a wild almost animal like cry. It rang in the ears of all who heard it. Sebastian…or rather…the "deer" tightened the glove on his left hand calmly as the Indian charged. Before any sort of impact could be made to them, he snatched the prince over his shoulder and shot out of the way. The chest behind them was completely shattered. Sheer physical power! Lord West pulled at his hair screaming like a maniac over it. Ha. Well it all came with being so materialistic. His demeanor only continued to worsen as Sebastian continued to dodge and avoid Agni.

Ivy backed away from the door. Lau picked Ciel up from the ground. "It seems that things are getting a bit wild, we should leave, Earl." He told the boy.

"He's right." Ivy agreed, looking back into the room anxiously. They both darted with Ciel in their custody.

"Wait! A commotion this big is going to attract attention!" Ciel protested over Lau's shoulder. "You need to bring him out, also!" He called to Sebastian, who's sensitive ears easily picked it up.

"As you wish." He paid his young master heed. With Soma still hoisted over his shoulder like _he_ were the hunted deer, he leapt out of the window just in time to avoid one final attack from Agni. It completely shattered the glass and some of the wall. West was most likely about to go into cardiac arrest no doubt.

…..

Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his companions now sat by the fire place over tea. It was late but that did not stop them from warming up and discussing what they had just seen before they went to bed. The source of Agni's strength was a trick of the mind. 'Samadhi.' Ivy found that one bright side to living in the Phantomhive manor was that it was quite the educational experience. Sebastian gave a lecture on it based on itself and all of the similar things like it throughout history.

"The Vikings of the past called upon Odin to accomplish this."

"Ahhh. The berserkers." Ivy listened intently.

"Indeed. The Holy Knights, and the Crusaders, fought in the name of Yahweh." He added in. Ivy frowned and folded her arms. The Vikings and Crusaders were completely different in the fact that even though the Vikings could summon up such monstrous strength at will…it also occurred unexpectedly and against their will at times…more like possession of some kind, but that was irrelevant. Typical of demons not to lie, but hold back on some truth. "For Agni also…His belief in his one true God…Soma…allows him to use such power." He continued to speak nonchalantly. "Something we could never obtain. Bred from love and belief. The power of 'faith'." His face held a devious light to it.

Soma's face was hidden by his dark bangs as he leaned forward in his seat. Ivy silently poured tea into his cup. "Then tell me why…" The forlorn youth began quietly. "Why did he betray me?" His voice was filled with puzzlement. As Ivy placed the tea kettle back amongst the rest of the china neatly set out, his arm swung out violently to swipe everything destructively from the table. "_How did he leave me behind so easily?" _He shouted. Ciel barely avoided shards of porcelain and hot tea as Lau easily avoided them by leaning back. Ivy jumped back, just as outraged as Ciel.

"You…!" The boy gaped.

"Why!" Soma paid them no heed. "Why is it that everyone around me vanishes? Why? WHY?" With that he was darting from the room. Ivy looked at her skirt that had sticky remnants of the tea that she had been unable to dodge due to such close proximity. Damn it. Sebastian glared at the destroyed china on the floor before looking at Lau and Ciel.

"Are you alright?" He asked dutifully. They nodded. Ivy wanted to shout 'No! It's NOT alright!' but simply allowed it to fester in her gut.

"Yeah, we dodged." Lau stated out loud where as Ciel remained silent and unhappy as always. He looked at the tea set once again with a lamenting expression. Soma was so dead. Ivy moved to follow after him, ready to drag him outside into the snow where she could perform the cream puff torture on him, but Sebastian's arm stopped her as he continued to look down at the mess.

"Ohhh. The Haviland tea set that I went through so much trouble to pick out for the young master." He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I guess I should…teach him some manners." Ivy briefly remembered how he had confronted her on such things once, and almost pitied the prince. "Please clean this up, Miss Ivy." He told her before heading off after the adolescent pest. Lovely. She looked down at the mess with a frown. Sebastian would be biting at her ankles if she left any sticky residue behind so she had best start right away.

….

The China was replaced another extra set they kept. It was enough that Maylene kept accidentally destroying them. Never mind guests throwing them across the tables. Still thanks to Maylene they were prepared for an accident like this one. Soma looked like he had just seen a ghost and held a very sheepish and silent demeanor. Ivy looked at Sebastian with a 'what on earth did you do to him?' face. Ciel in the meantime continued to speak as Soma continued to avoid close proximity to Sebastian like he would snap and bite his head off at any given moment.

"So far what we have from West's speech is the 'three year plan', and the 'completion of the plan within a week', and that 'Agni's right hand is essential'. Of these things…the most important is 'within a week'." Lau spoke up again now at this declaration.

"He might make the next strike at a big event? Feh…but it is Winter now. All of the large events are pretty much over." He commented observantly. At this Ciel looked to his butler.

"Sebastian. Can you think of any major events taking place in a week's time?" He questioned.

"A week from now?" A gloved hand stroked his chin in thought. "Amongst the written invitations addressed to the young master there was…" Ciel listened intently and silently as several events that he had not bothered to so much as look at were mentioned. He perked up slightly as Wagner's Opera at Covent Garden Opera House was mentioned but that was not to be focused on at the moment. Finally he heard what he was looking for. "A prospering exhibition of Indian culture in The Empire at Crystal Palace."

"Indian?"

Sebastian sighed. "Young master, reading your own letters thoroughly no matter what the content is all a part of being a proper English gentleman." Ivy rolled her eyes and tuned out another one of Sebastian's annoying lectures. How Ciel even paid attention to a word he was saying was beyond her. As the conversation went on it became clear to her that they had found their event and their motive.

"I can't believe this has turned out to be such a boring case." Ciel muttered. Lau laughed.

"So it really was a pointless visit." He said.

"Hold on a sec!" Soma called attention to himself. "I don't understand! Start from the beginning." He requested adamantly.

"Calm down prince, from now on we will explain everything in order…Well at least the Earl will anyways." Lau drawled. God weren't these people sleepy yet? Ciel shot Lau a look.

"You just pretended to know again, eh?" He raised an eyebrow. He waved it off and proceeded to explain. "The Hindustani Coffeehouse that West owns has a main course of curry. In other words, West is trying to get a Royal Warrant with curry." Soma blinked at this.

"Royal Warrant?" He asked. Ivy had, heard enough. She already knew about that sort of thing. Everybody was finished with their tea thus, she busied herself gathering the cups and saucers. She found herself not in the best mood. Certainly her senses had not deceived her, but what good were they to her? Agni was clearly doing what he thought was right…and yet she could not rule out that he had affiliated himself with West. Besides that, her skirt had tea stains and some of said tea had scalded her left hand. It was only a stupid burn but it still pissed her off, and then there was the fact that Sebastian was probably plotting a way to get her alone for whatever creepy reason.

She deemed it best to take care of this stuff and head off to bed. Making good on this decision she took the china and made for the kitchen. It seemed that Ciel was planning on interfering with West's Royal Warrant. Entering the competition, eh? What did Agni's right hand have to do with that? Closing the door to the parlor behind her, she decided that she could ask Sebastian later perhaps. At the moment she was too sleepy to really care.

…..

"Bercarius, I believe we have found a lead." Jet sat crouched in a thoughtful position as the mouthy Ashcroft tracker, spoke in a guarded tone. They were always guarded around one another. It had been a habit engrained within them since childhood. Thus, such a thing did not particularly occupy his mind. What did concern him however, was that it seemed that he would not have flounder anymore if what the two creatures before him said was in fact true.

"So soon?" He looked at the second form, considerably impressed with this wordless tracker's skill. There was a nod.

"And you are sure?"

"My nose does not lie my liege." A man of few words it seemed. Good. Quite refreshing. He hopped down from the rock upon which he'd been sitting to regard him closer than he had before. The neko youth had not bothered to pay him much curtesy due to his association with his Ashcroft clansman and his species... but he was willing to reconsider. So impressed was he that he had not noticed the older neko boy's uncharacteristic silence.

"Kitsune. Tell me your name again." A pair of shining eyes smirked under the sprite's hood. Placing two hands together he bowed at the waist.

"My liege, you may simply call me, Shin."

...

"Ah. Good evening again, little one." Fuck this universe. Ivy just hissed over her shoulder and continued to wash off her skirt in some hot water. "Dried sugar is rather difficult to wash off if you still insist on wearing the fabric that you are trying to clean at the same time." He remarked. The girl rolled her eyes dramatically before looking up at the butler.

"See here, Great Stater of the Obvious. I _know_ that…but…I considered it stupidity to come down here in my nightgown again and I did not wish to change clothes twice before I could go to bed." She pushed the bucket of suds away to let her skirt fall down. He liked to pick at every little fault he saw didn't he? "So…Ciel wishes to enter a curry competition for a Royal Warrant. You are going to be the competitor of his choice no doubt." She raised an eyebrow. He smirked with a nod.

"Of course. It does seem as though I will have quite a challenge ahead of me however. Competing against the right hand of God…hmmm. This should prove interesting if all that Soma says is true." He informed. Ivy curiously blinked at him.

"The right hand is useful for more than just unequalled strength?" She asked softly. Sebastian scoffed.

"Honestly Miss Ivy. You really should pay attention when people are speaking around you-"

"Yes, yes and be more aware of my surroundings and blah, blah, blah-blah-blah-, because meh, meh, meh. Please do not seat me through an unnecessary lecture Mister Michaelis." The neko muttered flatly.

"Indeed." He frowned shortly. "Digressing from this topic for a moment, I would like to know precisely why _Finnian and Bard think that I would not notice them hiding outside the kitchen door at nigh five in the morning, breathing like a pair of oxen after a day's labor_." Sebastian stated loudly and menacingly. At this, the sound of running footsteps could be heard moving down the hall. Ivy blinked in astonishment before cracking up.

"What on earth were they doing out there?" She poked her head out of the door.

"I can safely say that I have no idea." The butler answered. "They can be quite preposterous." He added, shaking his head while he pinched the bridge of his nose.

She then gave another wide smile. "Well anyway I guess we wont find out." She waved it off. "So…this curry thing may just be something else Agni comes on par with you in? So his right hand also enhances his capability. I am keenly interested now. You seem to be confident enough about it. Then again it could be conceit and general cockiness." She stroked her chin. It would be interesting to see how this cooking battle went down. Sebastian just gave her a flat look. "What?" she shrugged. Silence. Sweat drop. "I am going to sleep now, goodnight!" She darted out the door.

Sebastian just shook his head and followed directly after her. "Just a moment, Miss Ivy." He called down the hall.

"Yes?" She responded miserably.

"The young master has ordered me to brief you on his plans to create a lead for your…'pursuers'. Which makes this more of a challenge for me as I will be responsible for training you as I prepare for the competition." He explained simply. Ivy nodded.

"I see…wait a minute." She shook her head. "Training? Training for what?" The young half neko demanded defensively. She practically stormed right back to him.

"As the butler of Phantomhive. I have one week and three days to turn you into a Prima Dona…First Lady of the stage. Or rather…a high class soprano." Ivy choked on air. Bloody, sodding, hell! A week? Ciel! She could kill that boy here and now. He smirked at her. "This of course means that I must prepare you with much stricter etiquette, you will relearn posture, table manners, and gain extensive insight in the music scene of today, you must also learn to dance-"

"Excuse me! Dance?" If there was any possible thoughts of mercy left in this world…she would have been shot right then. He chuckled.

"Yes Miss Ivy. Dancing. Are you concerned about something?" The demon inquired in mock innocence. Ivy massaged her temples. Too much stress!

"It's a bloody week! Prima Dona Sebastian? PRIMA DONA? I knew the two of you set your standards and goals high but…it's a bloody week!" The girl ranted and raved, pacing about. "That would mean I have to talk to people! I HATE stupid rich buggers! I also have work to do around the manor! Furthermore I am by no means a performer! I do NOT want to dance and I will NOT wear one of those ridiculous WHALE BONE TORTURE CONTRAPTION CORSETS!" Ivy rested her elbows on the counter, calming herself.

"Please keep your voice down, Miss Ivy." The butler reprimanded. She whipped around to face him with glowing cat eyes.

"Do not tell me to keep my voice down. I can not do this in a week. Do I LOOK like an opera diva to you, Sebastian? I refuse! I refuse! I refuse!" Her chest heaved as she attempted to take deep calming breaths. Sebastian chuckled.

"You certainly already behave like one." He responded shortly. Oh-No-He-Did-Not. Was he calling her spoiled? One of these days she was going to find a way to murder Sebastian Michaelis. Mark her words. "You already are a proficient enough singer, you know basic linguistics, and from the content of what you've been singing it is clear that you have a knack for memorizing operas, arias, artists, composers, etc. The only things you really lack are social interaction, table manners, and dance. Is that really such an extraordinary task?" He folded his arms.

Ivy just pouted. "Do you want them to come find you or not?" He asked bluntly. She then bit her lip. She knew the answer to that.

"…Yes." She growled, sulking. "I suppose I do not have a choice then."

"Excellent. Now then leave it to me…with your cooperation of course." Cocky bastard. She gave a long sigh.

"Well you're going to have one hell of a time. I only knew dances in theory from reading…never did I ever try it….er…what about where my clothes will come from?" Her stomach was starting to hurt.

"The manor's personal tailor will be coming to handle that. Not to worry, I already have your measurements…so your tail should not be a problem." He stated simply. "The young master has stated that he will take part in this as your patron. In the meantime. I should start making preparations for this contest." Sebastian was always so busy. It was a wonder he could find any time to sit down.

"Even for a demon this seems like so much to ask." Ivy commented. "Are you never tired of constantly running up and down? Geez just looking at you makes me tired. No wait. That's because you're just exhausting in general. How any woman could survive you is beyond me. Anyway as I was saying…with all of this going on…you really aren't worried at all are you? Ha…that is probably very arrogant…or just admirable determination." Her expression brightened. "Good luck challenging the right hand of God." She smiled. "I hope I can see the outcome for myself. Ha ha."

"It does seem like quite the promising challenge." Sebastian agreed absently. She grinned wickedly.

"Well then, impress me." He stopped and looked at her. She then blinked up at him innocently at his expression. What she did not realize was the significance for any female demon to say such a thing. She truly _was_ very young. Perhaps her human side had something to do with it as well. "What? Is there something wrong with wanting to see a good show? Honestly Mister Michaelis." Moving past him, she continued down the hall to her room. With a grin he followed. Ivy gave him a weary look at this. "Is following me to my door at night going to become habitual, Mister Michaelis?" She demanded. "If so I feel I must protest. I do not like starving monsters following me around and I already told you that I would have none of this strange behavior of yours."

"Strange behavior?" He tilted his head. The demon gave a short laugh. "Your stubborn ignorance is extremely charming." She looked at him like he was insane. A struggle. This he liked. "Not to worry. I wont eat you. I find the world much more interesting with you in it. Am I not allowed to simply walk in the same direction as you?" He inquired. Ivy pursed her lips nervously.

"Really Mister Michaelis…I've had a very long… and rather disappointing day. Do not make it worse." She ignored him as he walked wordlessly beside her. Neither of them needed any candles. The dark never inhibited creatures like them. "Stupid tea scalding my left hand, skirt washing late at night, _you._" Her hand motioned to him almost accusingly. The butler raised a brow. "Yes you. I actually think you are the worst thing for me here. The best is that you like it too." He scoffed. "You see? You are laughing at me again." The girl rolled her eyes and remained silent.

"Let me see." He spoke up. Ivy scrunched her face slightly with confusion.

"See what?" She asked.

"You said that you were burned earlier. I want to see."

"Um….no. That wont be necessary." She told him curtly. Sebastian rolled his eyes. He simply grabbed her wrist much to her outrage.

"Its just a b-! Seba-!" Struggling was pretty much pointless. With an exasperated puff, she stomped her foot and pouted, letting him have his way. "Oh my god you are seriously forcing me to let you see it. I can't believe you, you are just like- no. You are much _worse_ than my own mother. I am a half demon you dolt! In a half hour or so it wont even be there anymore!" The neko protested. Sebastian clicked his tongue in dissapproval.

"That explains why you have not even ran cold water on it. You're lineage has made you reckless. We can't have you developing scars now can we?" He remarked. Ivy felt that same awkward swell within herself as gloved fingers brushed over the temporary mark on her skin. "Be more cautious next time, Miss Ivy." The demon released her hand, which she gingerly took back and held against her chest. His eyes did give her the creeps as she had once told him. However, it was not because they were repulsive. It was because they were simply so ageless, unreadable, and vivid in the uniqueness of their color and life. They frightened her because they seemed to be able to lay every fiber of her being bare if they so wished. She felt small and fragile… like some soft breakable… thing… and she hated that.

Taking a few steps back she began to walk again. "Well…Its only a burn. I suppose I would have to thank you for your concern though…_maybe_ that is." The young lady eyed the butler suspiciously. She honestly did not think she should be thanking him. After all the reason for his creepiness was still unknown. Certainly she had her theories but they were mostly bad ones. As a matter of fact she could not think of any good reason. Instead of allowing herself to dwell on such thoughts…she recalled something that she had found quite amusing. "Sebastian…are you aware that Ciel actually named you after his family's dog?" The demon blinked at her random statement. Laughing at him always made her feel better.

"Where did you hear that?" He asked. Ivy giggled.

"The Earl Phantomhive mentioned it in passing on the night of his birthday." She explained dismissively. "I thought it was rather funny…fitting even." He raised an eyebrow at this. "You remind me in some ways of a guard dog…" Clearly he did not like the comparison. She laughed. "Being compared to a dog must be demeaning for you. Haha. Alright I apologize."

"I do resent that." He stated bluntly as they continued walking as if it were completely routine. Once again she laughed and remained silent…well…only for a bit.

"Who's a good puppy? Such a good puppy!" she pinched the dignified butler's cheek and ruffled his hair. As he pulled her away by the wrists, he gave her a dirty look which only made her laugh more. "Take heed how you amuse yourself at my expense, Miss Ivy." Was all that he said. She calmed down, the little half breed knew how to quit when she was ahead.

"I have reached my door. Now I must ask you to cease following me around…" Opening the door she stepped into her room and turned to face him "…like a puppy." She added mischievously before closing the door on him. Sebastian frowned at the door. "_Goodnight Mister Sebastian!" _She called to him from the other side. Another day over. She certainly was not looking forward to having Sebastian as an instructor _and _supervisor, and…being promoted to the music scene as a soprano? The neko fell onto her bed with a tired and stressed groan. All she could do was wait for tomorrow as sleep took her troubled mind.

…..

_It was happening again. She was small. In little gloved hands she clutched a parasol as she stood alone in the dark. It felt as though she were outside somewhere in a forest. Not this again. Try as she might Ivy could not wake herself. Their voices everwhere, their hands. She hated all of those hands. They began to grab at her, claws tearing through the fabric of her skirts. It was like everything she had experienced all transpiring at the same time. She remembered each phrase as though it had only happened yesterday._

_All she could do was scream, cry, and fight them with everything within her as she was pulled in all directions, it was like they were trying to tear her to pieces. Swinging claws, and biting. She only barely managed to fend them off long enough to bolt through dark trees as fast as her legs could carry her. Still she could always feel them less than a moment behind her. Grasping, greedy, shadows filled with hatred. They had the feral desire to inflict pain and suffering. Caught completely off guard, she tripped over what felt like a gnarled old log with a cry of alarm. The little half breed curled into a ball, bracing herself for the inevitable. _

_Then came a powerful sweep of air that blew the ribbons from her hair and swept away her parasol from her grip. They all flew back from her as if stricken by some massive source of power. All at once she was suddenly a grown neko again, and found herself encased in the soft glossy ebony black feathers of a great pair of wings, like a little hummingbird in the hands of a gentle child. Sinewy arms anchored her snugly to this new being. The voices no longer assaulted her ears. Still she was not naïve, she trembled all over and pushed at this unknown creature in her caution. He chuckled, clearly male. _

"_Soft, hush now little one. There is nothing they can do to you now." He spoke with such familiarity and although she could not see him, she knew that for now she was safe with him. Slender articulate fingers played with strands of her hair. "Sleep peacefully." _

…And for the rest of the night…she did.

* * *

Author's Note: Okies, it's done. As I always say…hope you enjoyed it! Reviews make me happy so feel free to make comments xD. I am really trying to keep this from being overdone. Still waiting for the latest manga update. Kyaahhhh zombies! This is so cool! I can hardly wait damn it! Anyhow…again hope your enjoying it still. So long, farewell,…and I can't spell goodbye in German because I suck like that. So um…Ciao! :D!


	20. That Maid, Tight Ship

Author's Note: Ahhhh. Back to the story. I hope I am not losing my groove. Let us get back into the swing of things. Ugh my eyes are burning. Anyway I finally read the latest manga update. I swear if Aunt Frances were a man I'd totally jump her bones XD. Love that woman! She's so cool! This is getting so good! Awww yeah. So anyway. Read, Enjoy, and Review my lovelies.

Disclaimer: *is hiding in undertaker's coffin* ….What are you looking at? SHUT UP ALRIGHT? *shaking fist*. Even though I already said I didn't own it…I even changed my address but…_they still find me. *eye twitches from stress and paranoia*… _Undertaker agreed to help me out and to top it off he gets to have somebody try out his coffins. Now no more cameras in my hiding place damn it!

**Chapter Twenty: That Maid, Tight Ship**

_"Hearts are not to be had as a gift - hearts are to be earned." _- William Butler Yeats

"YYYUUUUUUCKK!" Soma's voice echoed through the Phantomhive manor. After tasting Sebastian's first curry, he was not pleased. His honey gold eyes were red rimmed from watering up. He coughed some of it up, wiping his mouth with a napkin. This was not curry. Ciel, Lau, and Sebastian all stared blankly at him after his reaction. He sweat dropped, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"It doesn't please you?" The butler inquired, looking concerned. Soma raised his hands in appeal, apparently still petrified by him.

"Ah! No…no! It's just that it's too different from what I have had in India…this…this…" Sebastian really hated babbling. He quickly placated him.

"It is alright. Please continue." He told him evenly. Soma sighed and wiped a bit of sweat awkwardly. Contemplating his words to be polite.

"First of all, the taste is too weak and I can't smell anything." He looked down at his plate. "…and I can still feel something like powder in my mouth. Such a thing is just not curry." The boy shook his head honestly and confidently. Sebastian placed a hand to his chin in contemplation.

"That is strange." He said. "I used the finest curry powder." At this Soma perked up once more. His expression clearly puzzled.

"Curry powder?" The word sounded so foreign on his tongue. "What is that?" It was time for explanations apparently.

"The curry that the Anglo-Indians brought back to England in this period has firmly established British traditions in that type of cuisine." Sebastian told the young man. "However, it is hard for a novice to combine spices, so they put 'well-combined' spices into one bottle and sell it under the name of curry powder. Curry that is made from curry powder is an original tradition of British cuisine." Soma listened intently until he finished before speaking up.

"I have never seen that in India, and Agni didn't use it. Spices will decide the color and spiciness, but the most important thing is the flavor. The smell will fade away if you don't hand grind the spices. In my palace, I have servants who are just for grinding spices." It seemed that the troublesome prince was finally being of some use.

"So, it is out of the question to use such a thing like curry powder that already has ground spices." The gears in Sebastian's mind were free to turn now.

Soma continued to give constructive criticism. "What's more, Agni's curry has different tastes and colors depending on the ingredients. I think he combines them to match well with the ingredients." At the very least this all was enlightening. Ciel listened intently to the conversation along with Lau.

"Well firstly it appears that we need to collect fresh spices of high quality." Sebastian remarked. The young earl spoke up.

"Then West has the advantage. He controls the distribution with his own company, he can secure the high quality products." A single azure eye gleamed calculatingly. Sebastian once again stroked his chin with a single finger.

"We do not have much time. If we do not immediately get into contact with a trading company…" He trailed. All eyes then turned to Lau who had been seemingly distracted from the conversation by his meal. He gave the three of them a confused expression. Always so clueless. To think he was the President of a trading company. They were damn lucky he was too.

"Got you didn't I earl?" He laughed heartily. Ciel twitched. "No problem. I can get you a full shipment in two days. How does that sound, eh?" The boy smirked and nodded.

"Done."

…..

Dead silence. The sound of breaking air….and…

_THWAACK!-_

"OW!" Ivy screeched at the abrupt and rude awakening. Oh the pain. The unmistakable sting on her derriere loudly stated that she was now awake and had just been hit with something hard. She rolled onto her back with a pained groan rubbing her backside. Definite bruise. Wait. Just how long had she slept?

"Are you ill?" Sebastian's voice demanded sternly. She opened her eyes wearily. She would have made a serious attempt on his person any other time but technically she was the one who had slept in. Badly, and knowing Sebastian, he was probably perfectly ready to murder her for it.

"Ugh no…" she pushed herself onto her arms only to plop down again. "…I don't know…in a way I suppose." His expression was dark and _very _unhappy to say the least. He was wearing those ridiculous glasses again and his entire tutor attire. Ciel's least favorite aspect of Sebastian was when he was in 'tutor mode'. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize-!"

"This morning I spent preparing breakfast and making attempts at curry. Quite a busy morning. I did not see you with the other servants which was not entirely uncommon so I paid it no mind thinking you were working as usual. Then after making arrangements with Lau for a new shipment of spices I decided to use the two days that said shipment would take to get here to start you off with voice lessons then your apparent weakest point, dance. Now you can imagine my surprise when you were nowhere to be found…and none of the servants had seen you today." He began. Oh no. Well at least it was a lecture and not a beating to within an inch of her life. "…this puts me exactly forty five minutes off schedule, Miss Ivy. Do you know what that means?" Red eyes narrowed dangerously.

Ivy blinked groggily at him, wishing he would just go away. Well maybe he would leave her alone more often if she pissed him off enough. "Why don't you _tell_ me for future reference and then we can move on and I can have time to sit weeping in the corner in contemplation of my erring ways." She drawled sarcastically, folding her arms. Bad idea. He snatched the blanket making her fall unceremoniously onto the ground below. "Oof!" Ouch once again.

"Get up, and dress yourself. Do not make me repeat myself." She shot to her feet, stumbling a bit.

"I'm sorry damn it! It was an accident! I did not even regain enough consciousness to even be aware that it was morning…ugh…head rush." Both hands rested on her head. She practically had no sleep because she went to bed nearly at five in the morning. To top it off her nightmares did not let her sleep properly for quite some time before they finally let up. "Stupid night terrors are ruining me." She muttered quietly to herself.

"As a servant of the Phantomhive household you will be in serious trouble if you have to be woken up every weary morning like a child. Disgraceful. I run a tight ship and I wont stand for it. Do you understand me?" He towered over her like the bully he was and she had to take a few quick steps backward. She gaped at him.

"Of course I do! Stop that!" She held her arms out in front of herself. Never would she respond favorably to intimidation. It made her angry. "I also understand that you are still every bit much the pig that I first encountered upon coming to this manor!" She fumed.

"You are giving me an attitude after the inexcusable error you have just made? I don't like that little one. You have delayed me enough. I believe I told you not to make me repeat myself." He warned. She snapped again.

"I can not very well get dressed with **you **standing there can I!" She shouted at him stomping her foot at him. "GET OUT!" The neko girl angrily rifled through her things as the butler simply made his way out the door.

"I expect you to be ready in five minutes at the least, if not I will come in here whether you like it or not and drag you out myself. Which would be very unpleasant I can assure you." The demon butler warned in all seriousness.

"Is that all Mister Michaelis?" She demanded angrily still unable to keep her voice down. Said voice cracking just a bit in her emotional state.

"Yes that is all, Miss Ashcroft." He growled back shortly before closing the door behind himself. Ivy gaped. What did he just call her? That insufferable beast of man! That was _her _habit, and since when did she do anything bad enough to treated in such a fashion. Yes she had slept in but...he never called her by her last name. Ever. This was new and it unnerved her very much. One minute ticked by and she leapt at her dressed upon realization that she in fact now had four minutes.

…..

"What happened?"

"All I heard was arguing."

"Hohoho." Behind several various household objects, four servants were sneaking about trying to catch bits of Sebastian and Ivy's conversation. However…It had not sounded like much had happened aside from some physical pain and a lot of bickering. When Ivy emerged from her room looking both ways warily they waited until she had walked down the hall before following after her. Why had she slept so late? Maylene knew that she should have checked on her when she had not seen her all day. She had convinced herself that Ivy was probably just avoiding Sebastian again.

"She doesn't look so good." Bard remarked softly so as not to be heard.

"You-you think that she could be sick today and that was why she slept in?" Maylene wondered aloud. The head chef stroked the stubble on his chin. Finnian looked between them curiously as they pondered on reasons and possibilities.

"Could be…she just doesn't seem like she would do something like 'sleeping in' after all. Didn't she get enough sleep?" Bard murmured to himself out loud. It really was strange. He himself and Finni had gone to bed around the same time as she did so it made no sense otherwise. "It has to be." Finnian frowned.

"But Bard…Why would Mister Sebastian fight with her so much if she was only sick?" The young gardener brought up a good point. Bard narrowed his eyes now. How exactly would they go about this then? Was she sick or not? That knowledge would be pivotal to find out whatever pieces he was missing here. After another silence Finni spoke up again. "Why don't we just _ask_ her if she's okay today?" He blinked with a shy shrug of his shoulders. Bard just blinked at him. Maylene thought that it sounded like a fairly reasonable idea. After all, just asking if she was feeling well or not did not sound at all suspicious for a friend to be asking another friend.

"That nuts! So nuts…that it just might work." Bard said with a mischievous grin. The others now blinked at him. The maroon haired maid looked in the direction Ivy went. "Well then…let's go." Bard proposed. Tanaka stepped out from his hiding place in a giant vase. Tea time.

"Ho, ho, ho."

….

Where was that pompous bastard after rushing her as much as he did? Lovely. One would think that he had the common courtesy to at least tell her where he would be. He would not be able to make up any time at all if he chose to be such a drama queen. Ugh. She felt dreadful. Must. Nap. "Where is he?" she groaned to herself. Three presences entered her scope and she turned around as Finni, Bard, and Maylene came around the corner with big 'casual' smiles on their faces. Oh bugger what now?

"Oh, hey there, Ivy!" Bard waved as they walked up to her. Uber bright smiles on their faces. What were they up to? "Haven't seen you all morning. Are you doing good?" He patted her shoulder as she stared miserably at him. '_God Bard.' _she thought to herself. _'You will not be receiving any awards for theatre anytime soon.' _No matter. She was far too sleepy to care all that much. Sebastian would be giving her much more of a hard time anyway. The young half-ling would put up with Bard's strange behavior as opposed to a prissy tutor mode Sebastian any day.

"Peachy just peachy, putting aside my splitting head ache and general unfocused equilibrium, I feel wonderful." Her tone dripped with sarcasm. "You?" They exchanged glances among themselves before looking at her.

"Um…we're fine, Miss Ivy…So…you are not sick?" Finni inquired looking like the only genuine one at the moment. Ivy pursed her lips and frowned at them.

"…Not sick per say but not entirely _well_ either." She told them honestly after a second or two of thinking about it first. "Why?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. Finnian was the easiest to milk for information it was clear to see. Bard cleared his throat and Maylene twiddled her fingers together. Finnian just smiled brightly before responding.

"Well we heard Sebastian earlier sc- ow! What is that for?" His green eyes watered after being elbowed in the ribs by the pyromaniac cook.

"W-we were worried when we heard that you had slept in so late a-and thought that you might just be sick is all." Maylene adjusted her large, round spectacles. It certainly was a very handy thing that they almost completely concealed her eyes from people sometimes. Ivy gave them a skeptical glance but just sighed and massaged her temples.

"Well…thank you for your concern but…I promise I will be perfectly alright soon enough and I don't have a bug, okay?" Her light green eyes surveyed them critically. They nodded although seeming a bit deflated now for whatever reason. "Speaking of bugs…" She muttered to herself mostly, rubbing her still aching backside with a wince. "Where is Sebastian?" Now they began to look at each other again. Before they could answer she dismissed it. "Never mind. I think I know where to look." She shook her head. "He's in a pretty nasty mood so I advise you to not waste anytime today. Ugh like me." Adding in her last piece she hurried off.

He said she had five minutes to be ready. What exactly had been the point of that? Damn him for the thousandth time! Five minutes. What nonsense. It had certainly been over seven minutes by now. Her train of thought had been abruptly cut off as she collided with a chest. She did not need to make any guesses. She already knew. "Good to see that you are still alive." The girl muttered, stepping back.

"I almost thought I would have to make good on my word for a moment." He drawled.

"You said that I have five minutes to _get ready _remember? So ha." She held up a single finger triumphantly. He could not help but be amused. "I believe that makes me absolved."

"What cheek, Miss Ivy, I commend you on the play of words." He stated. "Now if you do not mind. I believe that you have much to learn today. Come." A single, large hand easily gripped her small arm pulling her along behind him as the butler made his way off. Well at least he was not as angry as he was a few minutes ago. That she knew of but she was not going to think that way right now. Sometimes she really hated this man. No. Not sometimes. She just plain hated Sebastian Michaelis. Him and his stupid moodiness.

"Mister Michaelis…" The maid tugged on her own arm trying to pull it back from him. "I can walk on my own you know. It is really unnecessary for you to-"

"Well…you insisted on behaving like a little child today, thus you will be treated like one." The demon responded simply as he continued to lead her along. This naturally did NOT get a favorable response out of her. Gaping at him indignantly, she abruptly dug her heels into the ground, the friction making her shoes squeak against the tile as she was pulled along. Oh no he would not! Sebastian simply stopped on the grounds that he did not wish to scrape scuff marks from the tile floor.

"How many times do you expect me to apologize for that?" Ivy demanded swatting in mindless, frantic, frustration at his arm. Giving her a flat look he turned to face her and lifted her from the ground with ease like a child to a doll. "Hey! This is humiliating! Put me down!" Her legs kicked out wildly. Well she was certainly just making it worse on herself.

"Why I do not expect an apology at all, Miss Ivy." He smirked. Then what in the blazes **did** he want from her! She wanted to just die already. Clearly this was going to be a long day. A _long _day. Oh no…a long _two _days. Waiting for the shipment that Sebastian spoke of was going to take two days according to the butler. That meant that, that time was going to be dedicated to teaching _her_. Oh dear. Two days opera training and lessons on noble etiquette non stop…with Sebastian Michaelis. Ivy slumped in resignation, settling for a seething pout.

….

"That brat has not been sending me word and it is taking him longer than even I had expected." The elder neko male glared at nobody in particular. He had been expecting progress reports from that disappointing excuse of offspring of his, which he had gotten before but now had slowly but surely come to a stop. His suspicions were starting to reach their peak with the idea that he was hiding something from him. "If I know that big whelp, he has likely run into some sort of complication and refuses to let me know about it because he knows I would seize the opportunity to belittle and drag his sorry ass home so that I could do the job properly." He stated. "Ah, he always was disappointing."

"I honestly do not see what all the fuss is all about over this little half-breed." Another male in the room drawled. "I am sure you can find others, there are several scattered around in hiding after all that could suit your purposes just fine." He added in, propping up his feet.

"Yes old friend but you are forgetting that my son would not be very keen on that idea, besides it is the perfect cover as not to make him and the other more 'conservative' members suspicious over my….true intent." The keen mind of the lesser demon was working it's gears silently, and with great cunning. "If he does not return within the next three or so days I will go and drag him back here anyway so that he can stop wasting my, and everybody else's time." The scowl on his face spoke enough volumes about his disdain that all words would have paled to utter insignificance.

"Of course, my friend. How is your mate?"

"The shrew? Ah." He grinned to himself. "I do not know that I will be present when she returns from making one of _her_ contracts, if that is the case then you may tell her that I wish to discuss the issue of our son as soon as possible."

The other neko scoffed. "Looking to have another spat, eh?" He drawled. They both gave a short breath of laughter. It was time to wait.

….

Ivy recalled that in this room was where Ciel often took his violin lessons. Her eyes surveyed the place as she silently stood in the middle of the room. Sebastian had his hands on some sheet music, looking through several arias absently before placing them down on the nearest surface. Next to them sat a beautifully polished, brass phonograph that she had not noticed before but she certainly was acquainted with it by now. Several times she had fantasized about making it a part of the butler's head as a matter of fact.

"Again. Clearly you need breathing excersizes." He critiqued her. The little neko just rolled her eyes and let out yet another miserable sigh.

"That is not entirely my fault." She muttered. "Point A.) I have not yet eaten, Point B.) I'm running on auto pilot right about now, and Point C.)…I don't like singing when people are _actually_ watching alright?" Ivy was fairly convinced that she could not enjoy being a performer. Not with her nature. Introverted, defensive, and private. Sebastian of course paid none of her protests any mind. It was as if he did not even hear her, ha as if that were really a possibility. He bloody heard everything.

"No excuses. The skipped meal is your own fault." He reprimanded. "Now. Since we have been at this for quite some time. We will try something you are more used to singing then and see how well you do with that." She had not felt so much like a child in ages. How embarrassing. Green eyes narrowed at the demon for a moment. He raised one of his thin eyebrows. "Do you have time to gawk? Go on. Convince me that we can move on today." He folded his arms.

"I was not gawking, you swine and very well…" Pursing her lips in thought, she tapped her bottom lip with her pinky. It seemed that it was a deep rooted habit of hers, seeing as she did it quite often when concentrating on a train of thought. She began to sort through the sheets of arias and full operas. He waited patiently enough with his arms folded, the more she was rushed the more time she wasted after all. Upon reaching the music under the name 'Carmen' she paused. "Hmm…" This specific aria…'Habanera' by title was iconic, short, and simple. "Alright…let's make quick work of this." She placed the paper on the stand in front of her.

"_Quand je vous aimerai? Ma foi, je ne sais pas!" (1.) _She paused as if contemplating this question, before clasping her hands with a helpless shrug._ "Peut-etre jamais,… peut-etre demain. Mais pas aujourd'hui, c'est certain."(2.) _Sebastian tilted his head at the lyrics. Both unlike and befitting the girl if that could be counted possible. How droll. _"L'amour est un oiseau rebelle, Que nul ne peut apprivoiser, Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle, S'il lui convient de refuser."(3.) _She even kept into account that opera also counted partly for acting as well, making an effort to capture the persona of the leading lady "Carmen." A flirtatious, fickle, and lively gypsy girl.

She smiled deviously but not in what one could consider a provocative way. More secretive and girlish. That was her allure. _"Rien n'y fait, menace ou priere, L'un parle bien, l'autre se tait; Et c'est l'autre que je prefere. Il n'a rien dit; mais il me plait."(4.) _She sang the last part hugging herself as if delighted by a wicked idea. Well it was clear that by now she had successfully blocked Sebastian out completely. Strange thing this female. She certainly had already mastered the songs she knew. Sebastian assumed that he had her ever diligent demoness mother to thank for that.

He could not call her exactly what most people considered the buxom figured, 'classic' beauty. However, such beauty would have been so tedious to look at, she was more beautiful in some unique way singular to her, something about her seemed to attract beings of the male persuasion in droves.

Many thought her pretty, saw her as more of a bisque doll to pat on the head than as a woman. Easily tarnished. Her body type was very petite, giving off the very deceitful impression of her being fragile. Her eyes seemed almost impossibly large at times and her eye lashes were also strangely long. He'd thought her likely to be a doe-eyed, soft spoken, slip of a girl by first looking at them. Her nose was small with a barely noticeable upturn at the tip giving her a childlike undertone. Her lips -he found- were her best feature, unique yet still with a very womanly pull to them. The corners of her upper lip were curved delicately upwards creating with the help of a very full bottom lip the illusion of a rosy pout for a mouth. Red was fashionable for lips in high society it seemed, as many woman used crimson or cherry red make up to paint their lips with but the light hue of pink she sported suited her much better than such things.

She continued to be oblivious as she sang but nearly fell over when she remembered that he was still there and her face turned red with an "Oh!". Straightening out and clearly pretending not to see his highly amused expression the neko cleared her throat. "…Well…are you satisfied?" She asked, straightening up more and folding her arms. He let out a brief sound of approval before chuckling slightly. Now that he had effectively been able to embarrass her of course he was happy. She growled internally, if only looks really could kill.

"You have to work on not being so bashful." He told her bluntly. "Now then. I believe there is now the issue of dance to address today." Ivy deflated and let out a withered sigh. He turned to the phonograph casually. "Please stand in the center of the room. I will be with you in a moment." The butler spoke lightly but with a dutiful air to his voice. The neko girl clasped her hands awkwardly and walked unhappily over to said designated spot, biting her lip. Starting the music player, the familiar piece by Strauss…the "Vienna Blood Waltz" began to play. "Now then. The waltz is a default ballroom dance for British parties. There may be others, however this is the most important one to know. If a noble gentleman asked you to dance it would be most rude for you to refuse_, if _of courseyou per chance are invited to a party." He explained. Ivy simply watched him as though he were a leper. Honestly.

"Is there a problem, Miss Ivy?" He tilted his head at her.

"I…No." She twisted a strand of her hair avoiding his eyes as usual.

"Very good. Then let us begin, shall we?" There was a low cat like sound coming from her before she relented with a sharp '.._Fine.' _"First as in most dances, the gentleman must take a bow at the waist." He explained as he did so, a hand over his chest. Ivy had only ever seen him do that to make fun of others. "Then…" Standing back up he motioned towards her. "The lady must curtsey." Taking this as her cue, the disgruntled maid curtsied just as she always had done. "Miss Ivy, smile if you please. Really now. It would extremely rude to use such a sour expression while dancing." He reprimanded her. She just sucked her teeth in response.

"I just assumed you were a special case, Mister Michaelis." She gave a sarcastic smile that made the dashing butler roll his eyes. "Now what?" The troublesome girl inquired. So uncooperative. Moving on. He smirked, walking closer to her. Ivy felt the muscles in her face give a strange twitch at this.

"Now…we dance of course." He gave one of his bright, saccharine smiles. Well she certainly had not seen one of those in a bit. Yep. Still creepy. Especially because she now knew better. "Your form is-" as he touched her arm she flinched away like he'd just burned her. He let out a breath of air. "Another problem?" The demon inquired, folding his arms.

"Ugh…no." She waved it off.

"Are you certain, because it would not do if every time I touched you, you behaved as though my hands were in fact rattlesnakes." He stated dryly. She just gave him a withered look. As if rattlesnakes really could be scarier than he was. What a damned schmuck. Sucking it up she straightened her posture and held out her hand, still not looking directly at him. One hand held her wrist as the fingers from his other one nudged hers upwards patiently so that their hands were flat against each other, palm to palm as if testing out her reactions. Her hand was a bit small in comparison to his. Something made her start ever so slightly as he moved his hand and closed her fingers around it.

If he noticed he said nothing as he grabbed her free arm by the wrist and bent it at a particular angle before placing it flat over his own arm, resting her hand on his shoulder. "As I was saying. Your form is essential, along with the necessary heel to toe foot work, in order to keep up the pace. I assume you are familiar with the ¾ timing seeing as you read basic music." This was awkward enough to make her stomach drop but it was when his hand moved around her body to rest on her back that she felt her face heat up. Him being so tall made it feel as though she were being pulled closer to him just to maintain the proper pose. "The man leads, the woman chooses to follow. Three beats…like this." Then they were off.

Ivy tried to watch her feet, feeling for the first time in a while like a fish out of water. She hadn't felt so awkward since puberty. "You should not be so stiff. In the waltz, the lady is a painting, and the man is the frame. It is his duty to show her off." He recited. She could learn to hate dancing. Really. Stupid sexist society and their stupid sexist dances…and why the hell did she have to be close enough to feel his body heat so intimately? "Miss Ivy." He stopped abruptly. Ugh now what? "If you continue to insist on dancing at arms length the waltz will become clumsy and ungainly. Also. Stop looking at your feet, your chin should always be parallel to the floor." Ivy groaned internally.

"I don't like this." She muttered.

"I'm afraid you will just have to bear it for a while longer." Sebastian told her as he continued to lead her, feeling for all of her major flaws. "Stop looking at your feet." He repeated.

"Ugh. I feel so dominated!" She protested. "Too close! Too complicated! Damn this stupid dance!" Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her once again.

"Is this really too close for you? Might I suggest that you never try a tango in that case. The waltz is a very modest and chaste dance after all." She really _was _bashful wasn't she? "I also think that you are over analyzing the dance. You have to trust your partner." She looked at him as if he were out of his mind and pushed at him.

"Trust you? After I am treated in such a dreadful fashion by you for as long as I have been here? You must be completely off of your rocker." She nearly tripped over her own foot. "You did that on purpose!" He smirked at her.

"I believe I had an idea on how I can fix this little problem of yours." He informed. Ivy stared at him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

….**Day Two:**

"I can't believe you blindfolded me." The raven haired neko protested, feeling more mortified than ever now. He must have been having the time of his life. She could almost feel that expression of smug satisfaction and immense amusement of his at her expense. Without her eyes she was also experiencing a sensory overload. All of her other keen demonic senses were heightened. "I feel so ridiculous!"

"Am I going to have to gag you as well? No more complaints. Besides, you are no longer trying to look at your feet, and now have no choice but to trust me. You improve and I don't have to drag you along the floor. We both win." He replied. "Now you can truly see what the waltz is as you are. There is no dominating in waltz, the man proposes the step…" And as he moved back Ivy followed. "..and the lady chooses to follow. He is not to pull her behind him…but take her on a journey." Ivy was silent, her lips parted in thought and concentration. Her cheeks were still dusted pink from their proximity but other than that she was fine.

She hated to admit how right he was and not looking at his smug little grin helped her to be relaxed. "I think you are ready to begin with the basic maneuvers of the dance." He declared. "These include: The natural turn, rotating to the right, the reverse turn, rotating to the left, and the change figures to change the direction of rotation."

She nodded, deeming it best not to talk unless she needed to. It seemed that she would have to listen to his lectures at least just this once. "Do you feel the effortless glide of movement? If it does not feel like this then something is being done wrong." He stated. "Now to execute a natural turn, one of the key elements is the emphasis on the first and fourth beat. There is an imaginary line that represents the point where you are to be facing each time you turn. About sixty degrees to the left of this line is where you want your feet to be facing…then open yourself…mmm no- your right foot." She was much more cooperative like this. He vaguely thought about how ostrich keepers have to blind their birds in order to keep them from misbehaving and smirked to himself.

"Forward, Miss Ivy. Move it forward and rotate. Rotate this way. Ah-now stay on your toes and do the same with your left." He snickered when her ears dropped as she almost stumbled. Her cheeks turned pink. "No…you have to remain on your toes in order to do that." He told her. "With me. Slowly this time." They continued this for a while. Once she got the basic idea he paused. "Now we shall do it with the proper cadence. I will count." He lead her along gracefully as he did so. "Alright now…and _one, _two, three, _four, _five, six, -more open- _one, _two, three, _four, _five six…perfect." He stopped to give her a breif moment to take a breath. "Again. _One, _two, three, _four, _five, six, _one, _two, three, _four, _five, six. Is that a smile I see?"

Ivy had completely forgotten herself for a moment. She had in fact smiled blindly. It had just felt so light and fluid, to be taken and guided around so elegantly as though she weighed nothing at all. If her feet touched the floor at all she could not even be sure anymore as strong, confident arms held her securely. Her face faltered, remembering who it was that was holding her. He had actually managed to make her genuinely rely on him for a few hours already. "Okay…you were right…I do like it." Once again she was embarrassed.

"That is good to hear. Now for the reverse turn…"

Today was certainly going to be a long day as well it seemed.

….

"Oh… my… God. What if she's _pregnant_?" Bard's eyes widened. Both Maylene and Finnian gasped at the idea. Such a thought was absolute madness! Their faces said it loud and clear. "Well…what else would it be? She admitted to being 'not sick _per say_', she's been so moody lately, complaining about being sore, sneaking chocolate, not to mention it would explain the big blow out in her room yesterday!" He was starting to convince himself of this…never a good thing. "It would also explain why for the past two days since, we hardly see either of them. What on earth are they doing? Come on." He folded his arms.

"B-bard…there was no big blow out yesterday, just a lot of scolding!" Finni blinked.

"Where would Miss Ivy, find the time to get pregnant? She-she's always working with me." Maylene blinked in confusion.

"Maybe during the _day_. I'm not trying to judge, we all make mistakes. I say we find out what they are doing right now!" He proposed. "Maybe this time we can figure something actually useful out." Ah the ever persistant servants of Phantomhive would never relent. They just didn't back down from a challenge. There was a silence. Tanaka simply gave a skeptical "Ho, ho, ho." Otherwise ignoring them in favor of sipping his tea as usual.

Maylene and Finni however exchanged determind glances, agreeing that whatever might be going on, they needed to solve this mystery. "Yes!" They both nodded enthusiastically, finally backing up the blond head chef who was still holding up a fist in the good guy pose. His teeth practically gave off a flash of light. With that they all ran off with renewed vigor, leaving behind a jolly old man with his cup of tea to keep him company.

Several minutes into their search Bard finally piped up. "Shhh! I found them!" He whispered harshly. They all crowded around him, trying their best no to make too much noise. He motioned them over to the door behind which the trio could hear the familiar voices of the other two servants. They all propped their ears against the door, tuning into their conversation once again at probably the worst time ever.

" _This blindfold is irritating me." _Ivy's voice stated matter-of-factly, sounding quite exhausted.

"_I will remove it once I am sure you are ready to do this without one." _Came Sebastian's cajoling reply. _"Now let's try it again…and lean back please."_

"_Oh! I told you I hated this angle."_

"_It will not feel the same otherwise. Do not defeat the purpose of this technique." _Maylene held a handkerchief to her nose at this. Finnian and Bard's jaws dropped. If this was another misunderstanding, it was hard to figure out what else they could be doing.

Ivy's sigh was heard. _"Alright. I hope I am satisfied with the results." _

"_Certainly. Now remember to move forward and rotate this way…Good." _They leaned harder and harder against the door in their shock. Sebastian chuckled. _"I promise not to drop you." _Maylene's hand was leaning against the door knob and in her rather distracted state, the three servants suddenly found themselves plopping into room with a crash to the ground red in their faces. They began to scream knowing that they were already done for.

When they looked up however, Sebastian was standing with his arms folded, a dark glare on his face. He was clad in his tutor outfit, pushing the glasses up his nose. Ivy stood nearby with a black blindfold over her eyes. Both were fully dressed and very annoyed. She pushed the blindfold from her eyes. "Alright. What is wrong with you people lately?" The neko demanded. They all began to stutter, unable to contain their humiliation, fear of Sebastian, and guilt. Finnian began to wail in tears.

"WWAAAAAHHH! BARD THOUGHT-" Said chef covered his mouth in alarm.

"I thought that something was wrong and we-we.."

"I'm so sooorrrrry!" Maylene covered her face completely guilt ridden. They should have just done their chores quietly today. Well as quietly as was possible for them. "We were spying on you and Mister Sebastian because we-..we thought that something was going on between-"

"We are all real sorry about this! Um…we're just gonna…get back to-"

"Going on?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you three on about? I was already aware that you three had been following me around quite often lately, and I had been meaning to ask you why."

Ivy blinked at them. "So…they have been stalking you too?" She turned to look at Sebastian who nodded his confirmation, all the while not taking his eyes off the pale, trembling servants. He straightened his posture expectantly. "You thought something was going on between…what?" The neko asked them reluctantly, unsure as to how much she wanted to know. They exchanged glances. Sebastian seemed to catch on rather quickly and now snickered openly. Ivy looked at him sharply with alarm before looking back at them.

"Are we to assume that you thought something was 'going on' between Miss Ivy, and I?" He inquired. After a moment of silence they nodded sheepishly. Finni began to turn red and covered his face. Maylene held her hanky to her nose again as Bard scratched the back of his head. Sebastian smirked with unrestrained mirth. Ivy gaped, upon realizing just what was going on here.

"Us? Ew! No! Who's brilliant idea was that? You thought that we…? Oh my god…so you thought-! Just now you-! While you were standing out there you…" Ivy trailed off making the servants now turn a darker shade of red. "_OH!" _She clamped her hands over her mouth, she herself turning red. The demon beside her laughed openly. Ivy shook her head in disbelief. "You…the-…I…." She looked down at the ground, her bangs now hiding her eyes and she shook. Her little fists clenched at her sides in her fury. "YOU MUST ALL THINK ME SOME KIND OF WHORE!" She exploded at them. "IS THAT IT?"

"No no! Of course not!" They began to move away from her.

"GET BACK HERE!"

"KYAAAAH! WE'RE SORRY, MISS IVY!"

"MERCY! THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS!" Bard shouted as they all ran away from the fuming girl with sharp teeth.

"THERE WILL BE NO HAPPY THOUGHTS! THOSE ARE ALL LIES!" She snarled, chasing after them. Sebastian watched them vanish out the door and down the hall with great amusement. It seemed that he did not have to do anything. What they were about to experience was likely to be punishment enough.

* * *

Author's Note: Finally. New Chappie over. Forgive any mistakes I missed. More curry talk in the next chapter. I hope you guys liked this one. If you have comments please click the blue words with the yellow though bubble beside them. XD. I hope I did not miss anything. So many thoughts were in my head that I might have forgotten a few parts…oh well. Anyway I shall stop pestering yall now and hopefully get more lovely reviews. Thank you, good day…and as always, Ciao! Oh! If you want the translation for the part of Habanera sung by Ivy, here it is.

_1.)"When will I love you? Good Lord, I don't know!"...2.) "Perhaps never!...perhaps tomorrow...Ha! It will not be today, that much is certain. 3.) Love is like a rebellious bird that nobody can tame, you are calling to her in vain if it suits her to refuse you. 4.) Nothing will work be it threats or prayers, one man he speaks, another remains silent. It is the silent one I prefer. He says nothing...yet he pleases me so. _


	21. That Maid, Observation

Author's Note: Okay so getting to this took waaaay longer than expected, u_u. I apologize. I will try to keep up my own plot more often, just gotta finish this here curry arc. More curry time. Not much else to say. Anyway newest manga update comes out NEXT month apparently. How sad. D8!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Kuroverse…*munching on cookies from a cremation jar* I think I'm in the clear for now. *grimace* I'm trying not to think about what may or may not have recently been kept in this jar. Other than that I kind of like Undertaker's place. Huh, go figure….what did I say about cameras?

**Twenty One: That Maid Observation**

"_Language: The music with which we charm the serpents guarding another's treasure." -The Devil's Dictionary._

The servants all aided in bringing in the many sacks of spices onto the manor grounds. Most of the lifting was done by Finnian with many reminders to be gentle from Mister Sebastian as he gushed about how wonderful everything was. Sebastian opened the bags to examine the quality of the spices for himself. Soma looked on at them clearly impressed. The smells were everywhere and so familiar and delightful. "Amazing!" He marveled over two handfuls of coriander seeds. "These are all things that I have seen in my country!" On his cheeks he sported a pleased blush.

Sebastian sniffed a handful of curry leaves with a smile. "It all smells wonderful." He praised honestly. "They are premium spices." Lau shrugged with a confident air and a smile on his face. Ciel stood beside him, in an exceptional mood in comparison to his usually much darker demeanor.

"To prepare them all in such a short amount of time…the Earl sure has a rough was of using people. I'm not even an expert in spices." He stated jovially. Ciel smirked in response, one hand resting on his hip.

"You are only useful at a time like this." The young Earl chuckled. Lau was undaunted by the bluntness of the boy's statement.

"Meh, its never a bad time to do the Earl a favor." The chinaman grinned like a Cheshire cat. Taking all of the idleness around him as a cue Sebastian stood upright dutifully.

"Then, I'll begin to cook curry with these spices right away." He dusted off his gloves. "Prince Soma." The butler's voice called the attention of the young Indian monarch. Soma turned to look at him. Still terrified of the tall dark servant clearly. "Only you know Agni's Curry of God. Could you please give me some advice regarding the taste of it?" He inquired with smooth politeness that he had learned to make flow so well.

"I don't mind." The prince assured. "…but does a British man like you know how to use all of these spices?" Catching the thought that he perhaps had sounded rude, he flew into a brief panic. "That is-! I mean its just that not something that you should just fool around with- well- I just thought that it would be hard for you if you were not used to it…" He hid behind Ciel who was sweat dropping at the older boy's demeanor. Sebastian simply gave an amused grin.

"I understand your concern." He promised. "Please give me a little time and I will see what I can do. Wait patiently for me to finish please." Placing a hand over his heart he gave a slight bow. Soma sweat dropped, obviously still worried as he stared at the confident Sebastian.

"Is it really alright?" He asked Ciel from the corner of his mouth. The younger boy just yawned with disinterest.

"Who knows." He responded. A nap was probably in order by now. He really liked that idea.

….

Chocolate…she'd been quiet enough, Ivy was certain that she was going to once again successfully sneak herself a small snack. Opening the cabinet and reaching in, she grinned like a little child. "Ah-ah!" Sebastian's voice scared the living daylights out of her as he drew her hand away by the wrist. He frowned at her, as he whirled her to face him. "Really, Miss Ivy?" He raised an eyebrow at her as she blushed. A sheepish expression overcame her features and she cleared her throat. "This is bordering onto the definition of an addiction." He remarked. She stuck out her tongue at him. "I have no time or desire to stage an intervention."

"Then save yourself the time, and give me a chocolate bar." She pouted trying to grab at them. The butler rolled his eyes, blocking her with his arm.

"Do you honestly question why I treat you like a child?" He gathered her easily under a single arm like a potato sack. "Do not give me any unnecessary trouble today, or you _will_ be punished." He warned, tapping her nose with a single finger. She swiped at his hand.

"Fine. Let me go." She growled, wriggling. He chuckled. Why she even bothered trying to resist his strength was a very amusing thought. She simply refused to take anything lying down. He held her just a bit longer just to see how quickly she would become frustrated with him, grinning smugly. "Sebastian!" She pounded on his ribs angrily. With a laugh he simply let go and she dropped to the ground, catching herself only due to cat like reflexes. "Ooh! You are such a vicious, insensitive, jerk!" The demon scoffed.

"You asked me to let go. You should specify next time." He grinned, stooping to rub her ears happily. Catching his wrist, she pulled herself to her feet and tossed the offending limb aside.

"How many times have I told you not to touch me." she stuck her nose in the air. He smirked at her. She almost always seemed to find a way to be impossibly adorable. "What is it that you hear when I speak to you? I never gave you any hint that I wanted or required any unnecessary contact. Does everything sound like dolphin squeaks to you? You must be the most annoying creature on the face of the earth." The poor neko dead panned.

He listened only absently as he prepared a table of spices to test out and sample. She frowned curiously at him. "Wonderful. I believe you have chores to do." His tailcoat was removed and he rolled up his sleeves. He was ready to get to cooking. "The other servants will be missing you…and we wouldn't want them getting the wrong idea would we?" He smirked over his shoulder. Ivy's face dropped slightly. He was never going to let that one go. She just knew it. Quite possibly his best ammo yet, of course he wouldn't, and it was not even her fault. Stupid Bard. She allowed herself to pull at her hair expressively with a whine like groan.

"I am never going to live that down! Shut up about that!" She blushed. How humiliating the thought was. "It was all _your_ fault! If you didn't insist on pestering me and behaving like a completely unprofessional _jackass _on an daily basis they would not have made any assumptions." She pointed a slender finger at him. The only response he made was an absent nod. "…and now you have the nerve to ignore me." The maid clearly saw the grin forming on his face and narrowed her eyes. "Why am I even talking to you? Good day." She huffed. It was apparent that he was enjoying her discomfort. Nothing new. She would just have to leave.

"I hope you've been drinking more water, I will be getting to you today one way or another." He reminded. As if she would forget that she needed to stand there while he bossed her around and critiqued her singing for an hour or so. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes! Yes! I did…and I used the stupid text book, and the broom, and I studied the bloody material you gave me. Thank you for ruining my sleeping hours all the more by the way." She ranted, waving him off dismissively. "Is it possible for me to be on my way?" He chuckled.

"My how thorough of you, I will hold you to that claim. Certainly, Miss Ivy." The butler promised. "…Your sleep hours hm? How much of that is my fault in comparison to your repeated night terrors?" He drawled absently. Ivy looked at him sharply.

"Wait…how-"

"I've told you before that you mildly talk in your sleep. You had been getting louder as of recent. The other night I had to come in a settle you down before you broke something. You were thrashing quite a bit." He stated dourly. The neko covered her face in embarrassment, ashamed to have been so disruptive and for revealing an aspect of herself that she did not wish to share. Her mood became very somber. With a sigh she lowered her hands.

"I apologize for the disturbance." She muttered lamely. His eyes watched her from his peripheral vision.

"Not at all." He spoke up with one of his sunny smiles. "After all, you were quite grateful by the way you held onto me and ran your fingers through my hair. I had to be careful not wake you, lest you jump to unsavory conclusions." That got her back to how he liked her quite effectively. Her eyes widened a little bit more than a fraction. Dear Gods! That had been him? Her subconscious had taken that a ran with it.

"You-…what?" He chuckled and that was it. She groaned and pulled at her hair. "Oh no. No. No no no no no no no no! Damn it!" Her feet stomped a few times. Noting his grin as he turned to face her she pouted. "Can I leave now without any remarks about this? Or is that too much to ask?" Slender arms folded. He just nodded and moved aside expression not changing in the slightest.

Walking past him cautiously she paused…thinking. In the blink of an eye she snatched a chocolate bar and made a mad dash, grinning impishly. "Miss-" The busy demon just cut himself off with a sigh and a shake of his head. He would just have to collect penance for that later. He couldn't help but grin slightly. Cheeky girl. Now then…where would he start?

….

Soma stared in complete shock as Sebastian addressed his master and guests. "I apologize for the wait." He bowed, holding his dish. "Here is a curry featuring soft chicken, boiled with spices and onions. It has been seasoned with coriander and yogurt." The prince held his set of cards in his hands, unable to stop gawking. He swung around in his chair completely.

"You made this?" He gaped. "It's only been two hours." Sebastian sighed sadly at the statement.

"Yes I had to spend a whole two hours working on it. I apologize for making you wait." Who on earth did Ciel Phantomhive have as a butler? This was crazy! He brought back his cool, despite his sweat drop.

"Its fine. Besides…this smell…" He took a whiff of the air. "It is very similar to the smell of Agni's curry." Incredible. He placed his hands down on either side of the plate eyeing the appetizing food set before him. "How did you do it in such a short time?" Now the butler grinned with a devious tone of arrogance playing at his lips.

"It was an easy task." He assured. "I simply tasted all of the spices." The smile on his face was characteristically bright and deceptive. Soma already knew that he had a very dangerous undertone to his personality. In any case Soma's cool was now lost again at this new piece of information. How could it be so in just two hours?

"**All of them?" **He shouted in shock.

"All of them…?" Even Lau was openly awed by this. There had been so many spices that he had provided the Phantomhive manor with. This butler tasted all of them in under two hours?

"Yes. I tried to combine the spices that would achieve the same smell as Agni's curry from the other morning." He told them, dutiful as ever.

"You could do this just from the smell?"

"My nose is better than an ordinary human's." There was a strange light of mischief in his eyes as he smiled brightly and pointed at his nose. The prince was not entirely sure he knew what he meant by that…but he was even less certain that he wanted to know.

Lau spoke up, ever curious to try this curry dish. "Meh, Prince…When we get to the mountain, there will be a way through." He recited a Chinese proverb. "How about trying to eat it first?" The proposal was reasonable enough. Soma saw no reason to object, even if he was rather skeptical about this whole thing. He sat down slowly.

"Eh…sure…alright." He nodded. "Let's give it a go then." They both examined their meal. It did look very good. Very promising. "The smell is totally different from before. These spices give off a very nice smell." Lau slowly tasted his.

"This is…delicious!" He praised his friend's servant. "The taste of the hand ground spices really stimulates the appetite! Oh and the well prepared chicken is so soft that it just melts in the mouth." Well Lau was impressed, however he was not the one who's seal of approval was needed in this scenario in order to know that they were back in business.

"Prince Soma, what do you think?" Sebastian asked him. The teenaged boy looked quite forlorn.

"Nah, the smell is good but…the flavor is an entire different thing." Shaking his head, he began to feel as though they were running fast and getting nowhere. Maybe they wouldn't beat Agni's curry after all. The tall butler in black, stroked his chin in thought. He was facing a real challenge for the first time in a while.

"Is that so…then I'll try another combination that will give the same smell, but a different flavor." It seemed that Sebastian would not be phased. It was very admirable. The prince felt so utterly useless compared to this servant. He was beginning to really feel the weight of his dependency on others and he hated it. He clenched his fist at his side, looking down.

"It would have been good of me to know Agni cooked his curry…even if just a little." The boy grieved. "I really do know nothing. Even though I really want to help…I just cant! In the end I'll always have to rely on you." His hand rested over his face in shame. "I'm such…" He could not finish his sentence as a firm hand rested on his tense shoulder.

"Please do not blame yourself." Ciel's butler spoke up. "There is something I need, that even you can do." His smile was obliging and full of his own definitive charm. Soma's honey gold eyes were filled with apprehension and curiosity all at once. What could he do to help? He gave a nod of agreement right away. "Wonderful." Soma vaguely wondered if Sebastian were really human sometimes. "Please accompany me to the kitchen then."

…..

There were large sterling silver pots. Almost miles and miles of them, filled to the brim with still steaming curry. Curry of many different types and smells. The teenaged monarch's jaw nearly hit the ground as Sebastian stood beside him with a big smile. Cheerful and pleased with himself for thinking ahead. The servants all stood proudly beside their supervisor. He motioned to all of the selections with an arm. "I have prepared many curries with similar smells but each with different flavors. Please taste them all and select the one which resembles Agni's the best."

"You made all of this!" Soma exclaimed in disbelief. "Alone?"

"Yes." Sparkles dancing around the butler. Ivy shook her head. Despite any preference or aspect of his personality, anything that fed his ego always secretly made him happy. She could see it clearly. Still it was a very thorough job and it all smelled wonderful to her delicate, keen senses. "As the butler of Phantomhive, what would I do if I were not capable of such things?" Oh boy, she couldn't possibly have seen _that _stupid phrase coming.

"Impressive. Mister Michaelis. I give you props for being prepared." She nodded reluctantly. Soma was looking fairly anxious about this.

"But…I do not think I can eat so much curry on my own." He explained.

"Prince Soma…" The intimidating butler trailed. "Please collaborate with me in order to make a curry similar to that godly curry of Agni's…quickly." His smile was mildly sadistic as he filled a plate with curry from one of the pots. That meant that he was extremely happy to do this.

Soma looked at the dish that was handed to him with a very weary expression already. "Ugh." Taking a deep breath he steeled himself. "Okay. I get it now. If eating this curry will help you out then I will eat all of it. No matter how much!" He clenched his fist in determination. Bard, Maylene, and Finnian raised their spoons in support. Ivy remained as she was with her arms folded. Like hell she was going to eat all of that. Sebastian was just being a sadistic bastard again. He could have very well just made small amounts for the prince to sample but he chose to torment them. Why nobody else thought about this frightened her a bit.

The taste tests proceeded as she watched Soma and the servants devouring the different curries. One by one the butler introduced each dish as a gourmet chef would. They kept eating more and more and getting sicker and sicker. If they didn't eat it all, it would have been a waste of food. Like Ivy cared a lick about that. As things progressed Finni seemed to be a bottomless pit filled with glee. Ivy tilted her head and observed him curiously. Would he ever fill up? Soma continued with a short critique of each plate.

"This taste is too heavy and its too spicy." Next.

"This taste is a bit better but the smell is not that similar." Next. His face was getting more and more strained and glistening with sweat. The neko girl predicted a dreadful outbreak of indigestion in the household pretty soon. They weren't looking so good.

"How come Ivy's not eating?" Bard whined. She raised an eyebrow at him and was about to respond that Sebastian was just taking advantage of them but was stopped.

"Miss Ivy, due to one of the young master's current investigations. Is under obligation to eat moderately since excess food causes an excess of flem. It would be dreadful for her voice for this to happen, especially since I only have a few days to polish her. By the way Miss Ivy. No dairy, or sitting in the same room with Bard and his cigarettes for too long." He stated curtly. Since she was a half breed, the normal diet and routines of a soprano were mostly unnecessary but it would be best if she avoided irritants just in case. Sebastian would not take the risk. She gaped at him. Bard gave a huff. "_Butler's pet_." He muttered to himself.

"This time it's just not spicy enough….It feels so…" Next. By this time Maylene and Bard were on the floor. Finnian was still perfectly fine, his face covered in food and a huge smile on his face.

"This one is too strong and heavy." His hand covered his mouth like he was about to vomit. "I feel like there is curry stuck in my throat." A head of brown hair fell onto the table as he laid down with a thud, still sweating. It was apparent however, that Ciel's butler was not yet finished with him.

"Now the next curry is ready." He sparkled, unable to see the horrified look on the prince's face from behind his hair. "Cardamom with garlic." The plate was slid in front of his eyes mocking his illness. Then he caught a whiff and he sat up stiffly with a start.

"This!…This curry. It's different from before." Everybody perked up, extremely happy that maybe they could not stop eating now. Sebastian gave him a questioning glance as the young man took a bite. He stared in awe as though he were being transported into some sort of religious experience. They all exchanged glances.

"Perhaps all of the curry is getting to his head." Ivy sat on the counter, crossing her legs.

"Hey you think something to wash it down would help?" Bard inquired. Sebastian simply took the pitcher of tea and poured it with a curious frown. Abruptly, Soma jerked in his seat and looked at Sebastian.

"Ag-!" Blinking in recognition he stopped himself. Silence.

"Prince Soma?" Sebastian called his attention. He shook himself out of it.

"This. This curry is the best replica of Agni's!" He then told them confidently. There was cheering all around. Well that seemed simple enough. Ivy tuned out the many exclamations of praise. Sebastian simply stroked his chin in thought. "But…it's still different." The commotion stopped. "The flavor, smell, and spiciness are both identical to Agni's…but something is still missing. Something is just not right!" Soma was stroking his chin in thought.

"Something?" Sebastian was unimpressed.

"I do not know how to explain it if you asked me. The best I can say is that Agni's curry has a deeper taste…that's it!" He exclaimed suddenly. "Substance! There is not enough substance!" This did not seem to help the butler at all.

"Substance?"

"Uh…Yes!" Great. That was so eloquently specific right? He sported a deep and thoughtful frown, knuckles over his lips in concentration. It seemed to Ivy that the demon was displeased. She slipped soundlessly from the counter. If she was not going to be of any help here then she may as well be working anyway.

"It seems that this is a very had fight." He remarked. Ivy was headed for the door when it opened and she nearly collided with Ciel, backing off with an apology. Lau trailed in behind him as he simply nodded curtly to her.

"How is everything going?" He asked with a smirk. His visible blue eye dancing with amusement at his servant's apparent predicament.

"Young master." Sebastian acknowledged. Ciel strode over to stand beside Finnian and sample a taste of some of the curry with him. "You should not be down here right now." He informed. The boy paid him no mind as usual.

"Three days until the contest. It looks as though you are researching very hard." He grinned. Ivy slipped past Lau and out the door to go complete a few household tasks. Making herself useful often eased her nerves. Ciel did not stay in the kitchen for very long and on his way out he turned about to give his butler a crescent look over his shoulder. "Oh, by the way. For today's dessert I would like to have gateau chocolate. Bring it to me later." Why that little- the demon reminded himself of why he was a butler in the first place before bowing at the waist.

"As you wish…" He closed his eyes serenely. As the dashing butler found himself preparing the young master's desert the servants chattered around him. He only listened absently and perked up when he heard Finnian suddenly declare that he was leaving for the garden and invited the prince to join him. "Everyone." Their attention was called. He turned to them with a dark expression masked by a smile. "_The next curry is ready to serve." _

"But…I can't take it anymore!"

"_Digest it within the next ten minutes then." _

….

Night fell and the servants of the Phantomhive manor could not be found writhing in agony on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor. The dark haired servant stood cleaning up the pots with a bewildered expression and a sigh. "No luck?" Ivy's voice called his attention wearily. Doing all of the manor's work by herself had taken it's toll on her. Sebastian gave an annoyed grunt. "Well excuse me, and you say _I _behave like a diva." She drawled.

"What exactly is there not enough of?" He shook his head. Upon looking at the dishes on the counter she nearly fainted. Her eyes became slightly glassy. Stupid manor. Stupid competition. "From today's experiments I learned how to make the right colors, spiciness, and smells by combining various spices. I also figured out how to use the softness and sweetness of fruits, sourness of yogurt and the mildness of dairy products."

"That much is evident by the mess here." She responded. He absently touched her ears to relieve himself. Creep.

"Even so the 'substance' that the curry of God has is a completely different thing. Hmmm. You're right. This is not a good place to stop for the day…unready for tomorrow." He never liked to be unprepared. His aura seemed very settled and somber to her as he began to wash, still mulling over the situation. "The problem is that this 'substance' must not destroy the complex combination of spices…yet it must lead to a high level of fresh flavor." It was almost obsessive of him but she could hardly blame him. Like her compulsive need to ask questions when she did not understand certain unimportant details.

"Such an ingredient sounds like some sort of super food." She remarked taking the wet dish from his hand to dry it off. It seemed dish washing had become something habitual for them to do at night together. The demon hummed in thought. "Heh. Can't be of any help there Mister Michaelis. The only super food in my book is chocolate. Especially yours." She drawled. "There is just something…special in the way you prepare it. If I didn't know you I'd marry you to have access to it." She laughed at the absurd statement. He stopped short…staring.

"This is…" He trailed off.

Ivy blinked at him. "What?…Hey I was not serious alright? No need to get nervous now." She rolled her eyes. It wasn't _that _bad. He didn't have to be so dramatic. With a cry she was lifted off of her feet from under her arms and spun around. She was placed down to now stand out of his way.

"Pardon me." Taking one of his clean pots out, he began to cook again. Moving quickly as he took out several chocolate bars. Her eyes followed his movements swiftly. Ah he was brainstorming again. With chocolate? His presence swayed around her benevolently and she felt like she was under water, being carried in a swaying bobbing current. Her natural reaction…was a small smile. He was…happy. Not smug. Happy. She'd never seen him happy before. It was almost endearing. "There is no need to stare so hard Miss Ivy. I know I'm quite easy on the eyes but I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He teased over his shoulder. Okay…the good feeling was over now.

"Drop dead." She spat with a scowl. He laughed and she just continued to wash the dishes that he wasn't using angrily. The silence was broken eventually when she began to hum the tune of Wagner's "Liebestod" an aria from the opera Tristan and Isolde if the butler was not mistaken. Ah it was almost done. He could smell it…and by the way Miss Ivy continuously looked his way reluctantly here and there he knew she could as well. The devious grin was inevitable as he pulled off one of his gloves.

"It's done." He murmured. Green eyes looked curiously over the young lady's shoulder. He placed the lone plate onto the counter and the pot beside it.

"Do you remember what you did?" She asked, walking over to take a look. "It certainly _smells_ Godly." There was that smile. He held out a piece in front of her with a smile.

"You are the only awake that can taste human food." Despite the statement he was filled with self confidence. "Tell me. Is it good?" There was a hidden edge to his voice as he held out the morsel in his hand. Ivy's hands were still sudsy so she simply let him this once feed her. Just. This. Once. Of course it was more than good. It was like reaching nirvana. Her mouth closed around his thumb and forefinger, effectively cleaning them off with her tongue and she completely missed the way his eyes gave off a brief amber reddish glow.

"Mm." She wiped her mouth. "You are too good at everything. It's not fair. Soma is certainly going to go crazy when he tastes this. Even if he probably does not even wish to _look_ at a curry dish for a long, long time." The neko once again fell into the ordinary obliviousness that she dallied in.

"Indeed." His voice rumbled. "Now then…I believe I promised to get to you today." She gasped in horror.

"Mister Michaelis! Noooooo." She whined. "It is so late!"

"I can understand your concern, however. You only have three days. Two as of now. Come now. Tell me what you know of the most sought after sopranos." He gripped her arm and lead her behind him. He was going to be the death of her.

…..

The curry had been a hit with Soma the next morning. After another apparent trip into the supernatural for the boy, he had announced that Sebastian's curry was sure to be worthy of competing against the 'Curry of God.' The day went on fairly smoothly and normally…until of course…

"Ca va~!" Sebastian could have sworn that he paled significantly and lost some hair just at the sound of _that woman's _voice. Why was she always doing this? The man-hating, annoying, shrew of a tailor. No doubt currently in search of Maylene. Without being invited in and once again ignoring his demand that merchants always enter the manor through the back entrance. Stepping out from the stair case he intercepted her.

"Ah, Miss Hopkins. You're early. What an unexpected and blood curdling surprise. If you are looking for Miss Maylene, she is currently busy at the moment. What can I do for you?" He faked another smile. She frowned at him.

"Mister Stiff…" She greeted. "How typical of you and your narrow, inartistic, mind to send me measurements and expect me to come up with something inspirational without seeing the beauty of my subject." The woman set down her suit cases of materials. "Now where is she? I must see her, the colors, the styles that I choose must be flattering to her body type and skin tone etcetra, etcetra and so forth! Where is my canvas?" She demanded very bluntly. The demon pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Please Miss Hopkins. There is no need to behave so outrageously. Miss Ivy simply has need of two or three gowns. If you wish to see her-"

"OH MAYLENE! I'VE MISSED YOU!" The blond busty woman grabbed onto the maroon haired maid like a leech, kissing her cheek a bit over zealously. Hearts floated around her head like bumble bees. Sebastian shook his head at her. "Oh dear, Mister Stiff is so stingy, hardly calling for new uniforms. I will have to make new ones for this season." The tailor pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"Maylene. I assume you've seen Miss Ivy about." He called to the extremely nervous and fidgety maid who squirmed in the woman's grasp.

"Y-y-yes!" She nodded furiously. "She is in the attic, looking for something about the f-family history of this place-eek!"

"I see. Well just a moment while I-"

"No. I do not need a moment, I'm here." Ivy came down the stairs with narrowed eyes. "Who is this woman and what the hell does she think she's doing to Maylene?" Nina's eyes lit up upon sight of her newest canvas. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Sebastian cleared his throat, annoyed.

"May I introduce our tailor Miss-"

"Yes! My name is Nina Hopkins! The tailor who indicates the seasons!" She introduced herself dramatically. "I am most happy to say that it is a _pleasure _to meet you…Ivy was it?" She bounded over to the new maid of the household. Ivy twitched at the informality. Bard could get away with it…but then again he did not grope women against their will or kiss her hand so…she should say flirtatiously but it came out as 'vulgarly'. Her upper lip curled. Her eyes slid to Sebastian as if to say 'I really hate you for bringing this to me you know' as she wiped her hand on her skirt.

"Right…what can we do for you?" She inquired.

"Well…firstly…I must see that lovely hair of yours!" She beamed reaching for her white cap. Ivy jerked back with a loud screech of protest.

"No! Never touch my hair! Never! And if you so much as imagine grabbing on me the way I just saw you grab May, I will break all of your fingers!" Her eyes were wild, as she practically hissed. Nina blinked at her.

"I've tried to tell you Miss Hopkins that all we need are simple gowns. You see Miss Ivy is very…touchy." Sebastian beamed cheerfully. Nina gave a slight pout. It was not as though she did anything inappropriate. This would be a long day.

"No matter!" She brightened. "I have just the ball gown for this beauty! However she _will _have to try it on once it is finished otherwise there will be nothing I can do." A gloved finger waved at the half neko in warning. Ivy deflated but said nothing, sparing a glance at Sebastian. There would be no way that she could put on one of those dresses on her own. Corsets…she shuddered. He grinned.

"Why certainly."

…..

Ivy hated her life as she stood behind the folding screen of the room divider. Nina had offered her help with the corset, a request which she vehemently responded with a whole hearted 'No thank you!' The other servants were gone. Busy. Oh how she wished she could have Maylene's help, but the clumsy maid would probably end up killing her. Thus she only had one option. "Ugh. Sebastian…"

"Yes?" She could hear the smug amusement in his voice from where he stood and let out a sigh. Rolling her eyes to the heavens as if to say 'Really? _Really? _Do you hate me that much?' she steeled herself.

"Get your arse back here, and _not-one-word. _Understand?" Snickers could be heard outside.

"Are you sure?" He drawled.

"Damn it, butler!" She stomped her foot. Nina stood outside, looking taken aback by this ordeal.

"Does she not think it-"

"Look! As of this moment if you do not have black hair, a pointy nose, and a butler's pin _you stay the hell away from me! Is that clear? _Don't even think about lecturing me on propriety, woman in short-shorts and garters!_" _Ivy poked her head out from the side with a black scarf tied over her ears. "Please. Let's just get this stupid fitting over with." She sighed drearily, her cheeks pink and warm. Sebastian walked past the tailor with another smug grin.

"Very well…let's have a look then." He stated, disappearing behind the screen. The tailor folded her arms impatiently at this ridiculous situation. She began to absently tap her foot listening to them bicker softly.

"Its this stupid contraption." Ivy whined.

"I can see that, y_-*sigh*….._give the corset back, Miss Ivy." He told the girl.

"You want it? Sorry you just don't seem to have the figure for it." She teased stubbornly.

"How witty of you. If you are not going to let me help you, did you just call me back here to stare at your undergarments?" She could be heard squeaking. "They are quite nice but it is very unprofessional would you not agree?"

"It's an entire bodice you idiot and seriously I assumed _you_ of all people would be mature enough to not laugh like a buffoon but apparently I was wrong! Fine! Take the stupid medieval torture device!" Rustling could be heard. Nina just scowled.

"It is difficult not to laugh when you are behaving like a little girl who refuses to take her medicine. Come now it's only a corset."

"Then YOU wear it!"

"I'm afraid you yourself said that it did not flatter my figure. Turn around and brace your hands on the wall." Much better. She could deal with his dry sarcasm much better.

"I-!" His expression left no room for argument obviously. She let out a long sigh. "Please be considerate…" She sounded nervous as she did as he said. "I am after all about to have my internal organs smashed up into my rib cage." Ah, and the demon laughs, placing the loathsome _thing_ around her waist. Of course he would laugh. Sadistic son of a bitch.

"You are being quite dramatic. You sound like the young master." Before she could make an inquiry on that he tugged sharply on the strings making her gasp sharply at the sudden constriction of air. "Might I just say you are much more durable than a human being. Much easier to work with." He remarked. She scowled and the wall in front of her. The butler was going to murder her back here damn it! At another tug she gave a small abrupt whimper.

"_It…hurts._" She breathed. "Ow!"

"Be careful with her you brute!" Nina scolded from the other side, muttering something about men. Sebastian smirked to himself, eyeing finely sculpted shoulder blades and the graceful curve of her neck.

"I can assure you Miss Hopkins…she is in the most capable of hands." He responded. Ivy gave a low cat growl and he chuckled. "Really Miss Ivy, I doubt there has been a woman that has been killed by a corset alone before." He tsked, lacing up the back nice and tightly. "There now. The worse is over." He backed away from her.

"As a matter of fact- you ignoramus- there have been several woman who passed out and or died because of these stupid hellish ideas for a fashion statement." She responded heatedly. "Many causes. Internal bleeding, air constriction, etc. It's squishing my breasts horribly." She whined the last part angrily. He just grinned, probably thinking the irony of such a death to be amusing.

"I said a corset _alone_. Most of those ladies were doing something strenuous did you not know? In any case perhaps what they say is right then…pain is beauty." The butler teased, gathering up the skirts of the gown. "Now for all of the rest of this outfit. Do not make that face, Miss Ivy. You will only be wearing it for a moment or so…for now." His features pulled into a smirk. The neko stuck out her tongue. This was officially a day in the ninth circle of hell.

She snatched the blue and white fabric from his arms and squirmed into it, being fully dressed was such a relief. Even if the dress was so unnecessarily weighty. It meant little to somebody with her strength but it made her think of the excessiveness of humans. She looked down at it, while Sebastian diligently laced the strings on the back up. "Why the hell is the bust line so low! I look like a street walker!" She protested. Once again he was laughing. "I'm not leaving this screen like this." This girl claimed to not behave like a diva?

"It looks fine. Just allow Miss Hopkins to take a look at it." He cajoled. Another growl. With a sigh the handsome butler simply swept her up into his grasp. After all he had a schedule. She screeched indignantly. Before he knew it he was stepping out and taking an entire curtain out behind them in the process. Ivy wrapping herself up in it. Shaking his head at her, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "That will be an annoyance to repair."

"Ah~! Let me see, let me see!" The blond tailor was excited to see how her creation came out and paid little mind to the curtain she had wrapped herself in stubbornly, making quick work of it by tugging at it with surprising strength and sending the girl spinning out like a whirlwind. The blur of black and blue collided with the butler's chest, reminded that he was very much male as his arms reflexively caught her. She turned beet red looking up at him. Big mistake upon noting the smirk which he wore.

"Ah…you're right…the bust line _is _a tad too low." Ivy shoved herself away with a yelp.

"Eep! Stop ogling, you pig!" She hugged her chest defensively. Nina paced around her critically tapping her lower lip with her forefinger. She was overjoyed at how it came out.

"It's beautiful! So many ideas! Pastels! I need more pastels for the other dresses! I will fix the bust line for you without a problem!" She was starry eyed. "The next gowns! Yes!" She was in a fervor. This was going to be one long afternoon. Ivy frowned at Sebastian with a groan.

* * *

Author's Note: I had originally planned on finishing the curry arc…but there were so many things I was missing for my own plans Dx. I need to keep the timeline up. Hopefully I'm not missing any errors. Just so anxious to get the chapter up. It took soo long after all. *~*. Please tell me what you think. Leave reviews. I hope you liked it and I shall try to get to the action dag flab it.


	22. That Maid, Tense

Author's Note: FINALLY! I can get back to this. Now. We can get to this Curry competition and some actual twists for my original plot. I want my damn manga fix already…u_u…but oh well. Anyway. Let's get to it. I hope you guys enjoy it and uh…Thanks to all of my reviewers so far. :D! Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing now back off! I got the rule book right here and by admitting t not being the owner nobody has jack shit on me! *holding it up in triumph*

**Chapter Twenty Two: That Maid Tense**

_"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." - _Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.

"WOW!" Finnian pointed, starry eyed at the large lumbering mammal being kept behind a medium height fence. Its skin gray and thick, with a long hose like nose. Its ears were large and floppy, eyes small and beady, and it wore what looked like some sort of decoration on its head. People gathered around the fence to get a good look at the beast as a man in a turban tended to it cheerfully. "What is that large animal?" Soma stood beside the three dressed up servants with a knowing expression.

"That's an elephant. It is a sacred animal." He explained. "We have some at my palace…about ten actually." Ah, to be a prince and find these sort of things so routine. They all made exclamations of awe and surprise. Ivy was far too busy creeping up to said fence with big curious eyes in the background. Sniffing the air. She had heard of and seen drawings of elephants but never one up close. Her hidden tail was swishing and the ears beneath her simple scarf, were resting flat against her head. The animal became nervous however at the familiar scent of a big cat and let out a loud below that hummed painfully in her delicate ears and made her jump back about ten feet, darting to hide behind Sebastian, and peeking out from behind his arm. Always pick the biggest, strongest shield.

"Please do not wander too far off." The butler simply told the others stoically as they continued to ask the prince all sorts of questions. Ciel stood by observing the scene with mild interest, one hand on his cane and a signature top hat on his head. Ivy herself was on a sensory over load with all of the new colors and smells around her. Some things were familiar due to her mother's stories, some completely new. She released the butler's coat, her attention turned to the bright colors of silk being pushed past on a cart. Contrary to his words as ever, she ran after it happily snatching her fellow maid.

"Look Maylene! Saris!" She squealed upon recognizing the garments. Her mother dressed her in all kinds of garb as a small child. She had loved to dress her up in the intricate and colorful fashions of the human world. Like her little doll. A sari was simple enough for her to recognize. "They are all so beautiful!"

"Ah~! What lovely colors." The maroon haired maid gushed in agreement. Women. His musing was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Yo, Earl!" Lau was waving the young master over. The chinaman was seated with a small busty girl that the butler noted he had seen before. A large flower in her dark braided hair, and rather scantily dressed to be out in public in the midst of British society. What would be the word these humans used…ah yes…scandalous. "So it is time for the big show down eh?" he gave a signature carefree smile, a single are wrapped around her torso, pushing up her ample breasts. Ciel sweat dropped at his associate, trying not to stare. This could not be good for Lau's reputation.

"You brought one of your girls even though you would be in front of clients?" He asked. Lau pinched her cheeks.

"Meh, Ranmao is my little sister. Even though we're not related by blood." He informed. "I heard that during the contest, they would serve curry to the audience. So I figured that I could treat this girl." Ciel ignored him, grimacing internally…what kind of sicko does…_that _kind of thing to his sister? Creepy. Ivy made herself a welcome distraction when she bounded up to them with a giggle, sporting a veil. He sweat dropped.

"Tell me you at least paid for that." He commented with a bemused expression. She laughed, removing it.

"The vendor simply thought Maylene and I were adorable in our interest of his items. It was a gift." The neko explained. "Why should I refuse it? It is quite lovely and soft." She stroked it happily. The boy shook his head, disinterested in this topic. Lau leaned near them and Ivy moved away to stand at the boy's opposite side a subtle frown on her features. It seemed that she still was not very fond of him.

"So the prince's butler is really serious?" He asked.

"He betrayed the master he regards as a God. Of course he is serious." The young Earl said with one of his usual vacant, dark expressions. "It is safe to assume that this is all for the prince. He was probably told that once this plan is complete, the girl will be returned to them. If so it sounds like a lie to me." He closed his eyes impassively. "Well should his plan succeed, letting Agni go after obtaining the Royal Warrant would possibly mean the leaking of his deeds…If I was West…" He trailed.

"You would have him killed?" Lau asked innocently. Ciel blinked at him. What a freak.

"Do you really think it would be worth killing someone over?"

"Hey, I'd do it if it was me." The Asian business man defended himself half heartedly. Mostly he just sounded amused. Silence. "Meh…I'm much more interested in your strategy for today anyway, butler." Sebastian perked up upon being addressed. He gave a polite smile and raised a finger.

"That is-"

"Oh my! If it isn't Earl Phantomhive!" A voice called over to the group. Ivy hissed and bristled, shaken slightly by Sebastian's steady hand on her arm for silence. Nobody needed to hear her make those noises. Ciel looked back with the perfect gentlemanly politeness of a noble.

"Ah…Lord West." He greeted.

"Long time no see! It hasn't been since last year's social events if I recall correctly?" He looked like he was wearing the same suit from the last time Ivy had seen him. Either that or he was just obsessed with that ridiculous texture…pattern…thing that he had going on. Over done, pompous, peacock. As a servant she simply stood aside with the tall butler. "It's an honor to meet you again. You're still the same, always wearing such well-tailored clothes." Oh _Lord_. At least Sebastian's rambling was intelligent and not so utterly pointless. Ivy debated having her ears sown shut. "So what name brand does someone of the Earl's status wear?" He asked. Typical. Ciel brushed it off gracefully.

"My butler, hand chooses all of my clothes. I do not care at all about brand names." He told the grubbing and slimy Lord. West just laughed.

"You never change!" He made himself seem quite the jovial one out in the open didn't he? Ha. "Come to think of it isn't your group competing in this contest?" The inquiry sounded rather close to a subtle mock. The boy took it all in like a professional.

"Yes. I am considering expanding my business into the food industry." He responded curtly. West continued on.

"I was rather surprised to learn that you would enter. Did you go on a hunt for a talented chef?" Rather than wait for a response however, Lord West was quick on the opportunity to boast to another aristocrat. He liked to feel superior to _everybody _it seemed. "My company can not lose!" The pride was more than evident. "We have hired a curry specialist." Ciel was not the least bit interested in this conversation, that much was evident.

"Is that so?" His blue eye looked like it was becoming rather dulled. Then looking rather nervous West leaned over to him with a bit of a cold sweat seeming to develop on his pale complexion. He placed a hand to cover the side of his mouth slightly to indicate secrecy.

"Between you and I…some spies broke into my home." He whispered rather dramatically. Ivy let out a snort before covering her mouth and regaining composure. Ciel's mouth twitched. "It was terrible. One of my Galle lamps was broken along with a chess set that I got from General Trading." He looked around hugging himself with the shivers. "It scares me to even think about it. Luckily the secrets of the curry were kept safe. I get the shivers knowing that the criminal may even be here." Sebastian, Ivy, and Ciel were all sharing the same sentiments at the moment as they kept their snickers at bay. "Enough about that. I heard that the Queen may be attending the contest."

"And…?" Ciel interrogated.

"Well, since King Albert passed away Her Majesty doesn't appear in public so often." The aristocrat sighed to himself. "I'd like her to taste the curry we are so proud of in front of the audience before I receive the Royal Warrant." He explained. Ciel remained silent. "Oh. This chat has gone on a bit long. I will see you later." West said as he checked his pocket watch. He made his was off, casually placing the top hat he held onto his head.

"Before _you _win the Royal Warrant, eh?" Ciel murmured quietly as he watched the man's retreating figure.

"He really is certain that he will win." Sebastian spoke up, Soma appeared beside them, trying to be inconspicuous as possible.

"I cant wait to see the look on his face when he realizes that he has lost." Ciel smirked prideful and smug as a noble could get.

"Yes, my Lord." The butler responded with a signature dark grin. Ivy scoffed at West's retreating back.

"I hope he chokes on the shattered fragments of his own ego. You had better take him down a few pegs, or I'll be very disappointed." She told the butler with a dead pan expression. He chuckled.

"You hope, Miss Ivy? How utterly faithless in my abilities." He placed a hand over his chest in mock hurt. Ivy rolled her eyes. "No matter. I hope the lady enjoys the show then." He made his usual bow.

"Off with you then." Ciel waved him away with a single hand before heading off to take a seat with Lau and Ranmao, leaving the servants to their business.

…..

"'Ello 'ello 'ello!" A familiar arm draped over Ivy's shoulder. She recognized the presence and voice very well and gave a subtle grin. "I think I know this bird." Wesley teased jovially, shaking her gently under his arm. She pushed him slightly and he stepped back respectfully. "Come to see the curry festival too?" He asked.

"Hello Wesley." She nodded with a smile. "Where is Roxanna?" Her keen eyes surveyed the crown to search for any sign of the fourteen year old. His expression dropped slightly and he rolled his eyes.

"Off being ridiculous." He responded with a wave of his arm. "She wouldn't come wiv' me because she wanted to work over time. I told 'er she was off 'er rocker. She always takes a day off. 'Owever she says she's been savin' up money for a firearm that they would've never allowed a gurl to buy anyway, but seein' as everyone sees 'er as a boy she took the opportunity." Broad shoulders shrugged. "Almost 'ad to come 'ere all by me onesies till a mate o' mine and 'is family invited me along wiv' them." His smiled broadened. She nodded.

"Sounds like a jolly time. I am actually here with my household." She explained off-handedly. "Where are your friends now?" What were they doing without him?

"Meetin' me 'ere. I just so happen to come across ya' now." The sweep explained. He had cleaned himself up to come see this. "E's just gettin' 'is sister some o' them candied dates we were lookin' at before." The young man motioned with his thumb over his shoulder absently. "Seen anything you like?" He inquired curiously. She laughed.

"Well I nearly had my ears burst by the first elephant I've ever seen up close in my life a while ago." She told him honestly. He laughed.

"Yeah, I've seen tha' bloke. Big one aint he?" Wesley remarked. Ivy nodded cheerfully. "Oh there e' is! Oi Liam!" Ivy frowned and turned to see who he was addressing. Sure enough, there was the sweet Irish baker. Awww. He was like a happy little puppy. He was allowing his little sister to sit atop his shoulders. "Get yer arse over 'ere!" He motioned him over. Liam frowned at him for using such strong language around Cassie. His gaze met Ivy's and blinked in surprise. Though she was just as surprised by this coincidence she nodded calmly back in greeting.

"You know each other?" She asked him.

"Only for the past six years." Wesley confirmed. Liam came over, the little red haired girl on his shoulders smiling brightly as ever. "Why? You know 'im?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Ivy!" She waved frantically, her fist gripped her brother's hair for a bit more balance. She neko girl smiled back and gave her own soft wave. Liam smiled.

"I do indeed." she confirmed.

"Ivy. It's good to see you around!" Liam laughed lightly. "How are things on your end?" He asked with interest, always one to show concern for others. "Oh wait how rude. How do you know Wess?" He swatted slightly at Cassie's hand when she gripped a little bit too hard.

"I've known this 'ere girlie since I was 'bout…ten years old?" He stroked the stubble on his chin. The young Irishman gave a pleased smile and a nod of comprehension.

"It's good to see you too, Liam. You are looking very well." She nodded. It was quite a coincidence. "Are you going to see the competition?" She asked. They all nodded.

"Wouldn't 'ave come to this festival if I wasn't." Wesley remarked, draping his arms around both of them. "Come on then, Ivy. I think it's starting. Sit wiv' us! We got seats!" She was pulled along with them. Wesley…both he and Roxy had always been far too hopeful when it came to becoming a part of Ivy's life. She shook her head.

….

"Ladies and gentlemen! We have now come to the highlight of 'The Empire Governed Indian Culture and Prosperity Exhibition'!" The announcer called out as all the audience took their seats. A middle aged looking man with a small mustache. "Now, with our participants from famous curry houses throughout London, let the curry show begin!" The people clapped with anticipation. "We have prepared a special curry for the guests who are present. Please wait in anticipation!" He waved to the crowd with a well practiced air.

Ivy placed her hands in her lap and sat upright looking at her surroundings before refocusing back to the stage. Cassie had insisted to sit next to her to which she had agreed without any qualms. The child was eagerly awaiting the promise of snacks, her legs kicking out happily. Liam's mother who sat behind them leaned forward and scolded her for not minding her skirts. "Now, today's judges are…Chef Higharm, a palace chef will not allow any compromises in taste." The audience cheered the stout bearded man wearing a chef's hat and a stern expression. "Next is Mister Carter, a tax collector currently serving in India." Ivy caught sight of a pudgy, richly dressed man with glasses and a dark beard with side burns. "And finally…" the announcer trailed.

"The Viscount Druitt! Who has a great love of food and the arts!" It seemed that this man was a rather important figure…then again the majority of the raucous cheers were from the women in the audience. Ivy wince slightly at the screeching pitches all around her. On the stage was a blonde man with what looked to be lavender shaded eyes. He flipped some bangs from his eyes dramatically. Yeah, yeah nice and entertaining…now where were the contestants?

As if reading her mind the announcer spoke up once again. "And now these are today's contestants!" Wesley leaned upwards to get a better look at the competitors, standing in a line near by.

"Persian Tabb Company's Chef Tarpin!"

"Dormitory Vill Company's Chef Lach!"

"Dahlia Company's Chef Rickam!"

"Lippcilin Company's Chef Wollest!"

"Harold West Company's Chef Agni!"

"…And the butler Sebastian from the Funtom Company!" Liam and Wesley both perked up with interest.

"Phantomhive? For curry? You've got one strange boss Ivy." Liam remarked stroking his chin. "…Is that not your supervisor, Mister Michaelis?" He asked. Wesley looked at him.

"You've met him too, eh? Don't like 'im. Don't trust 'im. Not even with me ironing." He narrowed his eyes at the tall figure in black. "Ain't 'e only a butler though?" He inquired. Ivy leaned over to take a look down at where Agni and Sebastian were standing. She grinned slightly as the announcer was puzzled to note that Sebastian was indeed not a chef. Even the crowd could not stop their murmuring.

"He certainly is a butler…you shouldn't worry about Sebastian, Wesley. He is far more capable than either of you can fathom him to be." Ivy promised, not looking at them. They blinked at her.

"Do you think he would be unhappy if he knew you were sitting with us?" Liam asked, not wanting to start any problems. Ivy giggled. He most likely already did know. Wesley let out a challenging balk of laughter.

"Ivy is a free person to do as she likes, eh Ivy? If 'e 'as anything to say about it. He can blow it straight-"

"Wesley please." The young lady scolded. She would rather not run the risk of the chimney sweep saying something they were all likely going to regret. No chances would be taken here knowing the butler. Sometimes it seemed like he knew everything. "No, Liam. It is none of Sebastian Michaelis concern if I sit where ever I wish. Besides he is occupied with his competition." She stated.

"Sorry." The young baker scratched the back of his neck. "I just thought that since he seemed so…"

"What?" Wesley demanded. "Ivy…does that stiff backed spawn of hell have a case of the grabby, cause I can-"

"No!" She massaged her temples. "Please don't start with that, and no picking fights with my supervisor. Promise me you wont!" She held up a stern finger. It was her job as the stronger being to make sure her human friend did not put himself in danger. The young man stared for a moment or two before relenting with a wordless nod. "Good."

"Let the contest begin!"

….

The smells were amazing as Agni pulled the bandages from his right hand with a focused expression. Ivy searched the crowd to see if she could catch sight of the other servants and perhaps Ciel somewhere. Liam and his family as well as Wesley were entranced by the scent of the curry of God right away. "He's amazing!" Mrs. McCormack gushed with starry eyes. Ivy noted Ciel's top hat somewhere on her right before focusing intently on the competition once more.

When Sebastian got started she could clearly see him in 'show off' mode while he wowed the audience. His smile hid his smugness. The butler was confident, tossing in his ingredients with practiced grace. People began to get into it quick. "Oh the Funtom Company is also incredible!" Cassie said with a pleased blush on her face. Children loved Funtom's products very much after all…candy and toys…what was not to love? Ivy's lip quirked slightly in a small half grin recognizing the smell of his curry. "The smell is also great!" Another person chimed in.

When she caught sight of West's threatened expression she could not help but beam to herself. "What is he doing?" Liam sweat dropped. Wesley just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Look its chocolate!" Cassie stood on her seat pointing.

"Cassie sit!" Her mother scolded sternly. The girl huffed and took her seat. The crowd began to murmur their skepticism and doubtful comments. "What _is _that butler thinking?" The woman stroked her chin curiously. Ivy folded her arms.

"Chocolate and curry? It sounds like a joke." Wesley spoke up with a frown. Ivy laughed to herself.

"Oh please. Just wait until you taste it…that curry is possibly the best food I've ever had in my life." She promised them all. Upon remembering, she blushed discreetly, wishing that she had not allowed him to feed her. Her ears picked up the sound of Lord West's laughter and some jeering. Well his ignorance was going to humiliate him now without a doubt. _Agni _was clearly now threatened by the turn of events. If West had not taken that fact to heart then he was even more stupid than she had assumed. Mr. McCormack remained wisely silent as always. Watching with interest.

"He's got something up his sleeve alright." He remarked. Looking at Sebastian…Agni pondered within a few seconds before he pulled out his secret weapon. In his hand there resided a blue lobster, which seemed to take everybody's breath away. The Viscount that they had addressed before stood from his seat at the table with wide, mystified eyes.

"It is…the royal blue lobster?" He breathed like an awed child. "It is a type of lobster found only in the clear sea waters off the coast of Brittany, France. It's color which is comparable to the famous chartres blue, hides within the gorgeous shell a splendid body much like that of a beautiful lady wearing a blue evening dress." Ivy had to raise an eyebrow at his exaggerated…and mildly perverted comparison. "Also under that beautiful shell is a firm body that despite its looks flows with high grace emotion, and fascinates people constantly with it's sweetness!" Oh please. Ivy was certain she now knew what circulated in his mind on a daily. No wonder the women went so ballistic over him, they probably knew him quite personally. -Insert shudder here-

Ivy noted that Sebastian was kneading dough. She heard Soma speaking frantically and in a panic and then got a bad feeling about this. "Times up!" The speaker informed loudly. "Now to invite all judges to the stage!" The moment of truth. Ivy tapped her foot impatiently under her skirts.

….

Agni's curry sat before the three judges ready to be put to the test. Chef Higharm was duly impressed by the Indian servant's presentation and had told him so whole heartedly. Said Indian explained his presentation with a dutiful air. "I made a variety, each has a different level of spiciness and flavor so that you can sample each to your liking. All of the curries were made to go perfectly with the lobster." The chef nodded along with the other judges.

"Seven authentic curries prepared by an Indian served with a whole homard bleu. Let's see…" As he tasted it, his eyes grew wide. "De-delicious! The meat is suitably springy, and after chewing, the subtle sweetness permeates the entire mouth!" As expected. He was getting excellent feedback.

Now for Mister Carter. He too was immensely pleased. Then again just because one had taken up residence in India did not make them a gourmet palate, but oh well. He blushed happily. "..And that sweat and spicy, rich, translucent soup! All of this was accomplished without compromising the marvelous taste of the lobster. Here came the Viscount Druitt's turn. He took a spoonful.

"Oooh!…Ahhh." Cue the cringe. Ivy was not able to assess his presence among so many, but she didn't like this buffoon very much. He stood up with hand on his heart and blush on his face. "Like the beautiful lady unexpectedly met, with seven precious stones wrapping their beauty about your neck! A gold brooch shaped like a dove, a bracelet made of sapphires and pearls, a garnet necklace, a cameo medal, and a diamond and emerald ring adorning your exquisite fingers. By you my dear…my heart has been stolen from me!" A hand held dramatically to his forehead.

The three young folks sweat dropped. "I think 'e's enjoying that lobster a bi' too much." Liam and Ivy nodded in agreement. Agni bowed in thanks for the kind words.

"So has the winner been decided?"

Right on cue the announcement came. "Last to the stage is the Funtom Company!" Sebastian with his all knowing and deceptive smile walked with grace to stand before the judges. Nobody could deny his impressive presence. Down he placed the covered silver dish onto the table.

"This is my curry." He finally spoke. A gloved hand lifted the lid to reveal his creation. The judges were dumbfounded by what they saw.

"This…this is…!" They were silent as they looked at the uncooked white dough before them. A plain round wad of dough? What was this? A joke? "What is this white thing? What are you trying to pull?" Chef Higharm stood demanding an answer from the dashing butler. Sebastian simply gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Ah." And within seconds the dough was no longer uncooked…but deep fried. They all stared, all the more dumbstruck. What were they supposed to think about this? If Ivy knew Sebastian, he _had_ to have a better idea in mind than this. She stroked her chin. Liam and Wesley exchanged odd glances. "It is ready. This is our company's curry." He smiled serenely.

"But where is the curry?"

"Wait a moment!" The viscount demanded silence as he cut his bread in half. "The curry…from inside?" It was certainly a new concept for this sort of thing. Ivy perked up with a bright smile of her own.

"Oh! It is just like a jelly doughnut! Well…without the jelly naturally." She said cheerfully. Liam looked at his father…both intrigued by the concept being bakers themselves. Everybody was shocked. Was it really so surprising for all these people?

"This is the curry that our company proudly presents to you." The butler said impassively. "It has a name…" He trailed bit. "The curry doughnut!" At this Ivy could not help but laugh and give a small clap. It was typical of the demon to come up with something so dry yet more fitting than anything else. "Please, have a taste." He gave a slight bow once again.

"We will have to taste it first anyway." Higharm declared dutifully. Picking it up the judges were ready to make their comments. Once again they blinked in shock, eyes widening at the flavor. "It explodes in mouth! This is delicious! The deep fried crispy exterior and soft interior texture combined with the sticky curry creates several layers of heavenly taste!" He exclaimed.

Mister Carter spoke up now as well. "The most fantastic part is the curry filling used inside! Ingenious and fragrant, it is all blended together as if it were the very meaning of 'delicious.' It _blossoms_ the moment it is sliced open! In addition the chunks of the chicken are sizeable…this truly is a perfect creation." Druitt tasted his and went on another tirade.

"Ahhh…oooh!" Oh boy. "A young girl at a ball that makes me wish to love her tenderly! The mischievous mocking bird singing like a child in the daytime…but in the evening you show your true colors.." Ivy and Liam grimaced. Wesley pulled a face muttering something about nasty pedophiles. "The heartstring pulling smile behind your mask, a young girl…alone…I really want…to…" The man trailed off. "Hold you tightly in my arms!" He calmed down and looked back at Sebastian with a smile. "Fresh innovation and undoubted quality. This really is the Funtom Company's revolutionary curry." He praised, sparkles floating around him.

"And now the moment you have all been waiting for! Taste testing time! Please taste whatever curries you like!" The momentarily forgotten announcer piped in. Ivy simply had to taste one of those doughnuts. The magic ingredient was chocolate after all.

"Come on." She grabbed Liam and Wesley by the arms as Cassie was taken by her mother so as not to lose her. "Let's give it a whirl. Oh, and I have three people for you to meet." She giggled.

….

"After much discussion…the winner of this contest is…The Harold West Company and the Funtom Company!" It was declared. "A tie!" Ivy pouted. Oh come on! That was not even an answer. Before it could be continued however a whip shot out and snatched the golden trophy from the speaker's hand unexpectedly. "Huh?" The crowd turned to see a short, rather slim blonde man, well dressed in royal uniform and black goggles over his eyes. In his hand both his weapon and the trophy.

"Please…wait." He stated professionally. Even Sebastian looked surprised. Ivy stood now with the servants who animatedly introduced themselves to Wesley and Liam. Bard and Wesley had hit it off right away of course and Finnian had been more than thrilled to learn that Liam was in fact a baker. An old woman on horse back, with dark goggles of her own galloped into the scene with a smile.

"Who's the funky old gran?" Bard asked softly. Ciel stepped forward sharply.

"Your Majesty! Why have you come here?" He asked in shock. Ivy nearly dropped her curry doughnut. So…this was…the _QUEEN? _What one earth was she doing here?

"Queen Victoria!" Wesley breathed.

"Hello everyone." Her smile was cheerful and sweet. Very strange compared to her rather sharp aura.

"Her majesty has something to say." Her apparent footman spoke up dutifully. Even after being trampled by the Queen's horse a moment ago. He walked to help her down from her saddle.

"This curry show was indeed exciting. The fragrance permeating throughout the atmosphere reminds me of a time I had curry with Albert on White Island." She commented reminiscently. "OH! ALBERT!" She abruptly fell to the floor sobbing. What the hell? "I WANT TO EAT THIS CURRY WITH YOU ALSO!" Ciel sweat dropped as the footman tried to console her with an Albert doll. "As I received an invitation to be a judge in this contest, I have one vote don't I?" She dabbed her eyes with her hanky. "I have chosen…" She trailed coming closer to the two remaining contestants. "The Funtom Company's butler Sebastian. This is for you." The elderly woman smiled up at the tall servant.

West protested loudly. "WHY?" His light eyes were wild. "How can the curry _we_ made lose to a doughnut _stuffed_ with curry?" The queen calmly noted his inquiry.

"Look over there. Do you see?" She asked motioning to all of the little children happily eating the curry doughnuts, easily able to hold them in their hands. Other children were a mess, being scolded by mother's, and generally awkwardly eating. "Funtom's curry requires no utensils and can be consumed by anyone. Yes. This is a method that takes even children into account." The monarch explained. "Everyone is happy, the rich, the poor, the adults, the children, everyone is equal. This kind of idea is essential for Great Britain as it heads into a new century. I highly approve of the Funtom Company's accounting for our future, the children. Thus…the winner is the Funtom Company!" West fell forward onto his hands and knees in greif. It was more than Ivy could have asked for. With a grin and a pleased blush she continued to sample the curries. People cheered.

"My Lord!" A woman's voice called, running past the neko girl and heading right for West. By the look on Soma's face Ivy decided that this must have been Mina. She _was _a beautiful girl with tawny dark skin and perfectly straight black hair.

"**Mina!**" Soma shouted in relief and elation. She stopped and turned to face him with large dark eyes in shock.

"Eh…?" Certainly she had not expected to see him. "Prince….Soma?" The young man just stared with hundreds of emotions on his face. Word seemed to escape the normally talkative prince.

"I finally…found you!" He exclaimed with a burst of the emotion from within his chest as he threw his arms around the young woman. "MINA!" She tensed up awkwardly. If Ivy knew anything about girls…and she certainly did, she knew that stance very well. Pity set in. "I've been looking everywhere for you for so long! You must have been so worried when you were kidnapped to England. I finally…_finally _found you! You don't have to worry anymore. Let's go home!" Mina's eyes looked glassy as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Prince…" Her voice trembled. Her lovely face contorted into an enraged expression. "_Are you some kind of idiot!" _The woman pushed down his arms. Soma stared in surprise. "Who the hell do you think you are, coming all this way just to get into people's way!" She demanded. Agni watched the scene with helpless sorrow, falling to the floor in his grief. Ah, it made sense now. Weird, but hey. "Come back with you!" She mocked. "Don't make me laugh! Who wants to go home to a place like that?

"You…were concealing this all along weren't you?" The prince breathed in disbelief.

"Well, sorry for not wanting to live my whole life bound to my chaste! I took great pains to sneak out of India!"

"So…you wanted…with West?" How preposterous was the idea as he looked at the oily bastard, still aching from losing his Royal Warrant. Now Mina smiled cruelly, and it was uncalled for. Truly.

"That's right." She scoffed. "Even a child could see which is better. Being a lowly cook, or a rich man's wife? Also…_I'm sick of looking after such a selfish master!" _She shouted at him with venom. He understood now. After a long silence…Prince Soma spoke.

"…I'm sorry." He told her. "I'm sorry for not thinking about being such a bother, and chasing you all the way to England…and…thank you for everything up until now." He walked past the shell shocked woman, who stood perfectly still and headed towards his servant Agni. "Up until now I've always blamed other people: Being alone in the palace was my Mother and Father's fault. Mina disappearing was West's fault…but I was wrong. Even though I was gnawing at my parents ankles, I did nothing but complain, who could love a brat like that? But you stayed by my side, even when we were separated. I've given you nothing but trouble up until now." He bent to be at his servants level. "Will you stay by my side and still be my servant?" He asked. "Agni…?" The white haired servant wept happily, placing his hands together.

"Jo…ajha." He nodded, bowing lower. Ivy smiled slightly. Well at least the ending to this ordeal was a happy one. She looked at Sebastian who eyed the scene with detached interest.

….

"Suspicions confirmed. So should we report back or bring the little human in now?"

….

"AALLLBEEERRRRT! I WISH YOU WERE HERE TODAY TOO~!" The Queen wiped away tears. "Oh dear I should be going soon. I'll have the grand chamberlain's office send you the authorization documents for the Royal Warrant." Her footman, 'John' by name apparently, helped her back onto her horse. Mood swings much? Ivy and Wesley exchanged glances. "I'm looking forward to eating curry bread in the royal salon as well. You have fun playing as well, boy." She waved to Ciel with a cheerful smile.

Ivy shook her head as the old monarch galloped off without the poor footman, who had to chase after her. "Our ruler ladies and gentlemen." She muttered. The patriotic Wesely shook his head and tried not to laugh too much. "Is Finni still holding Liam hostage?" She inquired. There was an amused nod in response. So they rescued Liam by keeping him company whilst Soma and Agni spoke with Ciel. Thanking him happily for everything.

"My, how bustling." Sebastian's voice sounded and all attention was immediately diverted to him. They were all congratulating him happily in the distance while Ivy stood off to the side with her two friends an absent minded smile on her face. Wesley gave a frown, debating on whether or not to leave now that he was here. Soma out of nowhere threw his arms around the young earl and bawled his eyes out and became to wail out. "MIIIIIINNNAAAAA!" After watching Agni and Sebastian in conversation for a second or two, Ivy simply turned to them with a distant smile. The same smile she always gave before she re-entered her world without him. Liam too noticed that strange other-worldly vibe in her eyes.

"It was good to see the both of you today. I had better get back to my master now." She told them with a charming smile…and just like that the doors to her world closed behind her as she bounded to stand among the brood. She hopped over to where the butler and the white haired man were standing, immediately talking to the black clad servant animatedly as she shook him slightly by the jacket lapels excitedly. The humble chimney sweep looked at Liam who shared the same strangely shaken expression.

"Yeah…I know." He breathed. There was just something about Ivy that went beyond society and everything they knew. That girl. She was apart of something that they couldn't understand.

….

"It is really a good thing… that we came to England." Agni remarked watching Soma and Ciel together. Ivy looked at them to and could not help but grin at the poor Earl's predicament. "Both the prince and I…were able to make good friends." He beamed in Sebastian's direction. Said butler blinked in surprise. Ivy could feel his presence change genuinely.

"Friends…is it?" He stared. "That is the first time anyone has said that to me." The neko blinked up at him. How could these creatures live without friends? Her kind were so social in comparison. Agni just continued to smile with comradeship in his eyes. The moment really was a sweet one. She clasped her hands behind her back.

"This was a good day." She sighed contentedly. A grin pulled at her face again. "I could not have imagined a better ending for West! Hahaha. I think he was crying! I have you to thank for that!" Sebastian froze as she hugged him laughingly. Never had he any friends and with that came with the lack of anything that came with such a connection. Including something along the lines of…a simple hug. Oh he had, had plenty of females draping their arms about him…but it was different. When it was only a clean expression of chaste elation and nothing more. He knew the initial response would be to return the gesture but…how exactly did one go about hugging without being inappropriate? She would begin to rail at him about sexual harrasment right out in the open if he did something wrong.

He blinked as she released him to quickly for him to really decide, then just grinned. Enigmatic girl…in her own way. "You're welcome, Miss Ivy. Now tomorrow your skills will be put to the test and you know what that means. Extra practice tonight." She deflated.

"Why do you have to piss me off the moment I decide to get along with you?" She pouted. He chuckled.

"Sebastian. What do you think of this?" Ciel asked, handing the demon an envelope with the Royal Seal on it. Opening it, Sebastian pulled out two rectangular pieces of paper.

"Tickets?" Ivy perked. "To what?"

"They're…for the circus." How interesting.

* * *

Author's Note: Yeah…I probably botched a whole lot here Dx. Please forgive me. Anyway remember that the manga was different, there are no psychotic angels as of yet at this point thus this was how the curry contest went in said manga. So if you've only seen the anime…well now you know. Um…tell me what you think…I may have to revise the chapter though so…you have been warned. Just in case I decide to.


	23. That Maid Preparation

Author's Note: Back to Kitten Is Angry! Finally. Once again let me apologize for taking a bajillion years to update…as usual…but I am here now with another chappie. So let's do it, to it. I plan on putting a whole lot of Sebby and Ivy interaction in this one x3. Cause they are so fun to depict. Plus I now have to really get my game on cause it's time to really get my hands dirty with her plot. I hope you all enjoy it! OMG didja catch Lizzie on the latest manga update? O_O! I LOVE HER NOW, FOREVER, AND ALWAYS! I knew nobody could REALLY be _that_ cutsie…even though I've always liked Lizzie already xD. One thing that has been annoying me is that people keep writing her with blue eyes in their fics. They are green people…Lizzie's eyes are GREEN. Anyway, I'm done now. Ciao!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. End of story here people…*nervous laughter* I mean…come on…really? Okay thanks…move along people nothing to see…and stop laughing Undertaker…God. Reapers what can I say?

**Chapter Twenty-Four: That Maid Preparation**

"_Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door! Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."" ~Edgar A. Poe, 'The Raven' _

It seemed that after having her senses so stimulated, Ivy was more animated than usual on the way back to the manor. So much excitement had taken place today. Out of habit, she had climbed up next to Sebastian, as they got ready to go. Said butler did not bother to say a word about it, he would let her think about it on her own. It seemed that she was rather distracted as she simply spoke about the day's events with a smile. He had to admit that it was rather eventful. Compared to the sluggishness of manor life that is. Being a demon he had quite the collection of stories to tell when it came to excitement and activity.

He could hear that the servants were currently in animated conversation with Agni and Soma. He found himself mildly taken aback that she was not with them. Considering her shining to the Indian servant that is. "You're not even listening." She stared flatly right at him. Looking back at her, he resisted a snicker at her expression. Still she knew when he was being his normal idiotic self. She let out an angry huff and folded her arms. "I just asked you what you planned on doing about tomorrow…do you intend on keeping me awake all night?" She inquired. "I would assume that to be a rather bad idea…if tomorrow is when I have to…audition." She very nearly choked on the dreadful word. Now he chuckled aloud.

"Must you sound like a half drowned creature when you ask me this?" He inquired. Ivy pursed her lips forlornly and busied herself with watching a random group of children playing as they passed. Her fingers fisting and releasing the fabric of her skirt in her lap. He could almost imagine the hidden ears behind her scarf drooping grimly.

"That is not an answer." She finally spoke, her eyes hardening. "…And anyway why don't we just gussy _you _up like a vain peacock and throw you in front of hundreds of people to sing…with some of the finest musical critics in the business among them…staring. Oh, wait that is right, you are perfect at EVERYTHING! IF YOU CANNOT RELATE TO MY PREDICAMENT THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CRITICIZE MY NERVOUSNESS! TALK TO ME, WHEN YOU DEVELOP SENSITIVIY!" Well that was certainly unexpected. She always managed to do something like this. He had certainly expected her to react negatively…just not so much. Perhaps she was more nervous about being followed by her own 'kind' than about this whole soprano ordeal. After a moment of silence, she added in. "We can't all be a rock fortress like you, Sebastian Michaelis." Is that how she saw him?

He smirked. "Certainly, Miss Ivy. You misunderstand my concern." He was teasing her. She rolled her eyes. "There is certainly no reason to go insane over this, you _will _be spectacular. You are after all the product of my best efforts. There shall be none like you when the time comes." What a conceited bastard. Ivy sucked her teeth. If it were not _she_ who had to do this…she would partly wish that she failed miserably just to spite him.

"You can stop trying to comfort me with your snobbery now, Mister Michaelis." She told him curtly, bristling when he laughed again. She might have known that he was only talking like a jackass just to piss her off. "Was I not _just_ in a good mood a few moments ago?" The neko demanded miserably.

"I suppose it is a bad time to tell you that, tomorrow is simply to introduce you into the music scene then? It can get much worse." He drawled. He was _such _a _prick! _"They are going to be staging a performance of 'Wagner's Opera' tomorrow at the Covent Garden Opera House. The young master shall take you along as a guest to watch the performance. He and I have already made arrangements for you to be among the contenders for an audition that will be held afterwards for another short performance later this week…Claude Debussy's 'La Damoiselle Elue'." Ivy's face softened at this.

"Debussy? Oh I adore his works!" Her eyes shined. Temper forgotten. The butler raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Most find his pieces rather bizarre due to his habit of 'courting the unusual' with his music. Rather than follow the rigid rules of traditional composition, he favors his own ideas of it." He remarked. Ivy scoffed at this.

"Bizarre? Tish tosh…I prefer to think of him as a musical visionary." She commented. "The intervals and dissonances that he uses may not be favored by the 'top musical critics' however, whether they wish to admit it or not…they are beautiful in a way that touches the being who hears them very deeply. Music is not meant to be a mathematical process…it is -like any other form of art- a means of expression…to make others feel what you are trying to portray…to understand what you mean to say through the notes." This little creature must have truly loved music. She was so expressive in the way she spoke. "As a child I recall first hearing an orchestra play from the roof of the orphanage…it was Schubert's "Serenade". I did not understand it…but it had moved me to tears. It _reached_ me."

"You are a romantic." Sebastian deducted with a smile. "Such a piece was written especially for creatures such as yourself. Do you still not know what it means?" He smirked. She frowned a bit and shook her head.

"German has never been my strongest point." She admitted. "From the title and melody however, I can only assume that it is a man singing for the object of his affection, anyway no, I am not entirely a romantic per say. I was a sensitive child." She shrugged. The butler simply nodded.

"Would you like to know?" He asked. She eyed him with a raised eyebrow.

"I am not certain that I do anymore…Why are you being so nice?" Her tone was suspicious. "Is it because you must always find some means to make me uncomfortable?" The demon raised his own eyebrow at her before looking back to the road.

"It is not _I_ who climbed up to sit beside me in the first place, little one." He pointed out casually, making her blink for a moment or two and turn pink. Well, that certainly silenced her. The neko folded her arms and stared at her lap awkwardly. His lips pulled into a smirk. "Don't fret. You are not the first to crave my company." Clearly he was teasing her again. Ivy kicked his leg before sulking and groaning into her hands.

"Don't be absurd."

….

Roxy trudged along the sidewalk, clutching the box carrying her new gun within it to her chest with one arm and letting the other rest in her trouser pocket, giving the illusion of a bored young boy. Lately…her nightmares over…that day…still plagued her…her paranoia was through the roof. At night she slept with a knife under her pillow…as little as she knew these things would really help her against the unseen dangers of this suddenly so much more different world around her, she craved a sense of security. Even if it was a false one. Otherwise she would go absolutely insane.

Wes had asked her if she wanted to go to that…Indian…festival thing. He said that it would be fun. Fun? _Fun? _How could he possibly think about fun after what she told him she'd seen? Her mind was constantly thinking about survival…and getting herself to feel secure again. She would now head home and wait for Wesley to show up…then maybe they could go out for a pint or play some poker. She touched the tip of her hat to a customer who recognized her as the boy, Morgan, who cleaned their chimney and continued on her way. She never exchanged too many pleasantries.

As she neared her street…everything seemed strangely quiet. She could not hear even so much as the twitter of a bird and she frowned. Roxana Carmichael may have been aware that she was already a very paranoid girl…but she was not a fool. She knew when something was too quiet. The brief thought that she was losing her mind flitted through her conscious and she carefully pressed on looking back and forth.

Her pace began to pick up a bit as she caught sight of her door. So much for being subtle. It was just that…she suddenly felt stifled…and like there was something breathing down her neck. The closer she got, the more rigid and quickly she moved until she fumbled with the door handle and swung it open, shutting the door behind herself hard. Leaning her forehead against the slightly rough wood, she coaxed herself back into a normal breathing level. She shut her eyes tightly, mentally berating herself for her out of control cowardice. "You're gonna drive yourself bloody crazy." She whispered harshly to herself. This was getting ridiculous.

A slender hand, still sooty from a day's work snatched off her cap and let her reddish hair fall loose. "Bloomin' filthy-" She muttered smacking the dirt from it against her hip. The moment she turned around and looked up a tall figure stood before her as though he'd always been there…but she was more than certain she had not seen a soul when she opened her door. She let out a screech and jumped. Even in her haste she could not have possibly missed someone so large. He grinned widely with large golden eyes with black round irises that seemed to grow as they… dilated?

"Hello…I might have known you were the girl…Miss Roxy." His grin darkened. Almost as if on cue she began to choke on sobs. Whipping around to get to the door he was upon it in an instant, hand slamming down against the now slightly splintered wood as she screamed again. "None of that. No need to fear…I only have need of information…and then you will never even remember I was here. You must come with me."

"Leave me alone!" She screeched angrily and petrified. He rolled his eyes.

"I'd prefer to do this-" He was cut off by a crack to the face with the large wooden box she was still clutching and within that instant she has swung open the door and bolted only to collide into the chest of another one of these…things. Kicking violently…she did not dare endanger anybody by screaming for help.

"Go to 'ell!" She snarled, still in tears. They restrained her far too easily.

"Oh? Just where did you think our kind originated in the first place, little human?" He laughed. "Now then. Shut up." All she saw was the back of his hand and then darkness.

…..

"Oi! Roxy! You'll never guess who I saw at the festival! Oh! I got ya some dates. You'll like 'em!" Wesely called cheerfully as he entered his home, expecting to see his little friend come out and demand that her boredom be alleviated. Only…she didn't. "Rox? Roxy?" Still no response. He scratched his head. Turning about he noticed the cracks in the front -and only- door of his home for the first time. The sweep ran his work worn hands over the damaged wood. "What in 'ell fire?" He breathed. Becoming alarmed he made his way through the place toward the place where she slept.

"Roxana Carmichael this aint funny! What happened to me door?" He demanded harshly. There was nobody home? Impossible. Walking back out his eyes fell upon the sight of a shattered wood case with a new unused gun on the floor nearby. She had definitely made it home that day. So where was she now? Now he was frightened. "Roxy!" He bellowed hands cupping either side of his mouth. Damn it. He swung open the door and changed his approach. "Morgan you little weevil! IF THIS IS A JOKE I'M GONNA BLOODY PUMMEL YOU!" He shouted into the air. No response. That was it. He had to go look for the girl. Even if he had no idea where to start.

….

There was something strange and déjà vu like about Ivy's dreams as of late. Her nightmares had changed significantly ever since there had manifested in her subconscious this unseen…entity. Perhaps when Sebastian had come in to stop her from thrashing about in her sleep that one night, his presence had inspired the illusion but instead of the new phenomenon stopping after that, it seemed as though her mind could not be rid of it. Why did she continue to dream him up? This faceless someone still seemed to just…be there. Even in her good dreams where she would imagine a happy life for herself, there he would be. At first it was unnerving. Somehow though, it had come to the point that she could not imagine it otherwise. The bottom line was that logic could only dictate that her subconscious had possibly created this person as a defense mechanism somehow…but…it was so strange. What she hated most of all…was the similitude between Sebastian and this mental 'security blanket' of sorts.

She told herself that it was only natural, considering it happened because of his intervention in her dreams… but deep down she was certain that her mind would have eventually corroded it into something more suited to her preference. Which led her to the idea that perhaps there was a part of her that preferred it that way, and it scared the living daylights out of her. Hell no. Why on earth would that be so?

Then her mind would settle into an anxious calm, as the thought came to mind that it was likely because the demon butler had an air of unshakable confidence and power…he gave off the feeling that nothing could harm him…and if nothing could harm one's protector then all was well… right? Just as she was about to scold herself for thinking too much, his voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Your voice carries much better now." The butler stated. This had been what she was lacking before. Her diaphram lacked experience. Power. A lovely voice, but where was the point if nobody could barely hear it past the front row? It was perfect now. That was quite a relief. She looked extremely stressed, running a hand through her hair. "Again." He said with a serious voice. Her eyes sharply met his with unrestrained annoyance and contempt. "Only once more. The beginning is sounding rather shrill is all." This earned him a look of offended disdain.

"Perhaps that is because my voice is about to be over-used. We've done this piece how many times so far?" The girl drawled tiredly. She would show that bastard 'shrill'. He ruffled her hair.

"Perhaps you are right." He told her. She hated when he used that tone of voice, he always one-uped her using that tone of voice. "Perhaps you would prefer to take a break from the singing and practice the leandler one final time instead-"

"I will sing it again." She responded flatly. With a wicked smirk he simply handed her some water…again. "You're mean." Pouting again, the girl took the glass from his gloved hand. "It is as though you are _trying _to find fault in everything I do."

"Is that not a tutor's job? If I can not see the problem how can I fix it?" The demon inquired airily. "Perhaps if I rephrased this…the damsel you are trying to portray has to sound young, sweet and fresh and full of yearning. The damsel poem was inspired as a companion piece to Poe's 'The Raven' after all in case you were unaware. In The Raven the hero we read about is expressing his sorrow for his lost young love who died and was received into heaven, where as in The Blessed Damsel it is she who sings her sorrows for her earth-bound lover. Your audience must feel your longing for this man." He stated. "Like your Schubert and his Serenade once inspired you."

"I understand." She breathed, handing the cup back to him.

"Very good…now try again."

"You are _such _a _slave _driver. Just so you know." She scowled tiredly.

"Hardly, Miss Ivy." The butler scoffed. "Now sing the first verse and we will see if you are prepared enough."

…..

"What do you guys think they're doing in there?" Bard asked. They were aware that the young master had an investigation that required Ivy's help. Maylene gave him a dirty look.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time you decided to get nosy?" She asked. They had just gotten back from a very eventful day. Fun but busy…they were all tired now. The maroon haired maid was in no mood to deal with an enraged Miss Ivy again…or Sebastian for that matter. Bard sucked his teeth feeling a bit insulted.

"That is not what I'm talking about…I hear she's learning to dance. That should be entertaining to see. So why not take a peek?" He shrugged. "I don't really think Sebastian would mind. Do you?" The cook inquired, scratching the back of his head. Granted the butler disliked it when they slacked but it was late afternoon, almost night so it didn't count. The young master hadn't asked for anything either. Maylene pondered for a moment.

"Well…I see no harm in that." She admitted with a nod. It would be rather fun to watch her new friend learn actually. "I am curious and I don't think we will ever see her do it otherwise." Finnian simply played with a spider on the window sill distractedly, not paying attention to the conversation. "Let's go." With that they were off. The young gardener blinked as he noticed his friends and fellow co-workers abandoning him and he chased after them.

"Hey! Wait! Where are we going?"

….

"You are doing this on purpose. You want to see me flip out again." Ivy muttered as she was too close for comfort to Sebastian. She was currently convinced that the Austrian Leandler was a product of hell with all it's complications and such. The neko pursed her lips and pushed at him. He grinned, pulling right back.

"Miss Ivy you are spoiling both of our forms." He reprimanded. "I believe I already assured you that I do not bite." Oh he thought he was so funny didn't he? She glared at him.

"Well maybe _I do!_" She snapped, squeaking as he gave her a slight shake and tugged her forward by the arms, leaning closely toward her face. What the hell? She stared at him with wide eyes, keeping her hands pressed defensively against his chest. Internally, she cursed him for having such a firm and defined torso. That is not what she wanted to think about in this scenario.

"Well perhaps…_I would hope so, little one_. What then?" He teased with a purr. She gaped with a loud outraged squeak. The doors suddenly opened.

"Mister Sebastian sir-! Oh! Oh I am sorry!" Agni bowed swiftly and hurried out upon noticing their situation. Ivy blinked in horror at the door frame where the tall Indian once stood a moment ago. Sebastian shook with snickers. Immediately she slapped him smartly.

"You sick **bastard!" **She shoved herself backwards, arching for more distance. He released her, making her abruptly stumble back and fumble for her balance. What a twisted son of a bitch. "I did not ask to hear about your disgusting sadomasochistic thoughts and/or preferences!" She was blushing like a virgin trapped in an occupied prison cell at this rate. "Oh dear…my thoughts have been violated." She whimpered….and he was still laughing at her. Jerk. "YOU ARE A PIG!" The neko pointed an accusing finger in his direction.

"I did not expect that to happen." He chuckled. After all for once the troublesome prince and his loyal butler had been so silent that he had almost forgotten that they were still staying with them. He considered that fact to be something very fortunate. "Apologies. It is difficult for a creature such as myself not to exploit such an abashed nature as yours. I was only teasing."

"Like Hell! You know what? I'm going to eat this instant, I'm hungry." She stated. Attempting to storm past him as he caught her arm.

"Just a moment. Finish this leandler and I will make you something myself. Anything of your choosing." He stated, now suddenly serious again. Moody creep. "Chocolate cupcakes perhaps."

She blinked at him. That was so cheating. The girl pouted. "That is not fair, Mister Michaelis. You have found my weaknesses but…I have yet to learn more than a mere _one_ of yours." He chuckled holding out his hand for her. With an annoyed huff she consented, taking the offered appendage.

"I would have assumed that it was quite obvious." He said cryptically, spinning her into her proper pose. She stared blankly at him.

"Please stop being so creepy." The maid finally responded. "You had better be sure to come through with those pastries…I want cookies too." She told him. "If you stiff me, I will find a way to keep the stray cats that wander the gardens away from you." He gave her an upset expression at the threat.

"Certainly. Now please do not over analyze this dance. It is a lot less complicated than you are making it out to be." The demon remarked. As they began, they for once missed the presences of three servants who watched them, with entertained expressions on their faces.

….

"Ahhh~!" Finnian blushed happily, watching the flow of the dance with all the attentiveness of a child. "I like it, it's so pretty." He commented to Bard and Maylene who stood in the door way with him watching. They all smiled a bit to themselves.

"They look well together don't they?" Bard remarked dryly. Ivy and Sebastian were so different when looked at separately, but when standing beside one another they fit in a way that was strangely right. "Shame they tend to clash so much." He added. "It would really pay to have somebody around to hide behind when Sebastian goes berserk on us." Maylene leaned on the door frame with a soft sigh, watching them with a gaze that was unreadably wistful to the cook.

"Yes…they do…they look magnificent." A sad smile touched her lips absently. They looked like a pair that was meant to have been born among the English nobility. Bard noticed her expression and felt like smacking himself. Oh damn. How had he forgotten about Maylene's horribly hopeless crush on the butler of Phantomhive?

"What are you three doing?" Sebastian drawled toward the servants causing them to jump a bit with a start.

"We wanted to watch you guys dance!" Finnian explained enthusiastically. Ivy just turned red, thanking whatever master of fate that they had not come earlier…more specifically like when Agni had opened the door. Oh dear. "That's such a pretty song~!" The gardener of the Phantomhive household was always so oblivious to awkwardness… but he was so happy that way. Ivy was envious of him at the moment.

"It's a Leander…a piece meant for the dance." She told him. "I do not know the title however…um…so I supposed we are finished." The maid looked at Sebastian. Now that she officially hated the solo for the "blessed damsel" she assumed that she was now ready…and maybe even knew the piece a little _too _well. She also knew the stupid rules for these dances so well due to Sebastian's haranguing…that her legs practically moved on their own after she was finished lately. Like the phantom feeling of waves one got when leaving a boat after a long period of time being on the water.

"Quite." Sebastian confirmed. "It is around the time for me to ready the young master for bed. If you will excuse me." He took a slight bow. Ivy just could not feel comfortable anymore and it made her feel like a jittery idiot now that Sebastian was suddenly sporting his normal, apathetic mode. It was unnerving how easily he could switch moods. In any case all that now mattered to her was that she got her cookies and cupcakes. He had _better_ fork them over. After he was gone the servants turned their eyes back to her. There was a silence.

Awkward much? "…What?" She asked them folding her arms.

"Nothing…" Bard shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "You were just spacing out and acting like you had just seen a ghost." The American war vet explained. At this she let out a frustrated breath.

"Well that certainly is a way of putting it…I assume that since the young master is going to bed that dinner has already been finished." She responded, and quickly changed the subject. "So that means I have dishes to take care of." Silence. She hated that butler. Perhaps she could find some way to get back at him. Cat repellant? No she loved those strays too much herself. Perhaps she could tell them to stay away from him in exchange for food. Ah well. She would figure something out. "Hey…who wants to waltz with me?" She smiled.

"Me!" Finnian waved his hand. Subject successfully avoided. She smiled at him.

"I will teach you."

….

"How is she?" Ciel asked curtly as his butler buttoned up his night shirt wordlessly. Raven black bangs covered his servant's eyes and left only the smirk that crawled across his lips visible to the thirteen year old.

"Ready, young master. She is ready." And that was all that needed to be said.

….

Ivy was washing the dishes near the window so that she could see the view outside. The moon and stars were clearly visible…no snowy clouds to block her view of them. On the ground there was a sparkling white blanket of fresh snow; Finni's footprints could be made out here and there. Absently she continued to work, gazing at the scene illuminated by the bluish light of the moon. It all reminded her of The Fishermen Three…a poem that she would read to the little girls back at Bedfordshire before they went to bed. "The moon's smile is cruel tonight." A voice rumbled. This time she didn't care that _he_ was here standing beside her.

"Indeed it is…I think the old moon always has a hint of cruelty in his visage." She gave an ironic smile. "Much like you, who swears by the moon." She teased, remembering the red haired shinigami. The butler scoffed. He did very much remind her of the moon she supposed. Him being such an imposing figure among everybody here perhaps? Or maybe it was because she had never seen a more powerful figure of darkness yet. Ah how he hated it when she mentioned that death god. Too funny. "So when do you think, you will finally 'forsake' your contract?" She giggled loudly at the expression he gave her.

"Miss Ivy….little girls who play with fire get their fingers burned." He said curtly as he removed his gloves and began to roll up his sleeves. She dried her hands and moved aside for him.

"I am no little girl, devil. Just in case you were fooled." There was no point in being intimidated at this point in time. She _was_ feeling rather frisky at the moment after all. What was the harm in some witty banter? He grinned, making a show of scrutinizing her.

"I suppose not if I must guess." He shrugged finally, handing her a wet dish to dry. "You certainly don't look like one after all…it is your manner that causes my confusion." The neko placed the now dry dish among the pile.

"What do you mean to say, _Sebby-chan_? That I am immature?" She scoffed. "There are those who would disagree with you." She screeched slightly as he pinned her to the counter with his hands on her shoulders.

"Those such as your 'Wesley' and the baker?" The demon drawled in response. "That is hardly an argument considering their personas and their age group…and I do believe I warned you about that ridiculous excuse for an endearment, Miss Ivy." A single finger traced the curve of her neck, making her shiver. After a moment, Ivy rolled her eyes.

"No picking on Liam and Wesley." She scolded, swatting away his arms. "Granted you are right. Liam is extremely trusting and naïve, and Wesley is possibly the most immature man child on the face of the earth…but I suppose it is endearing…in a platonic way. Someone like me is very mature for my age however. If I were to look, I'd need a mature man not a boy."

"Platonic. Is that so?" The skepticism was there…and kind of insulting.

"Yes." Was all that the maid deemed necessary to reply. She would not dignify that rhetorical inquiry with a full sentence.

"How cruel of you to string them along as you do." Ivy twitched.

"I beg your pardon? I resent being accused of something so petty." She told him flatly. "I hope you are just _trying_ to get on my nerves. You think I 'string them along'?"

"Like a pair of dim-witted puppies. It is quite sad. Oh but you can not help it can you?" he mock crooned. "It is only natural that the poor humans are helpless towards the charms of their natural predators." Ivy really had no idea what he was trying to gain here. "They know that to hope for more than a distant but friendly acquaintanship would be foolish yet they can not help it, when you show more concern then necessary for our kind to show towards them…they dare hope all over again. What a cycle, Miss Ivy." He stated. Ivy became upset now.

"First off…my being considered one of their natural predators is ridiculous, since by eating them I would be subjecting myself to a form of cannibalism anyway. Second off, our kind? There is no 'our kind', Mister Michaelis in case you have forgotten, and just because I value others does not mean that I am interested in them in any such way." She now worked roughly. "I suspect that it simply baffles you that any demon -half breed or not- could hold a mere human in higher regard than one such as yourself. Does it tear you apart that I refuse to feed your ego?" That manipulative son of a bitch. He grinned at her.

"Then are you just toying with them?" Her blood was set on fire at the horrible statement. That was unnecessary.

"Nobody has ever spoken so low of me in ten years." She hissed.

"What is the reason for this undue attention you give to them then I wonder?" The demon butler stroked his chin in thought.

"By 'undue attention' do you mean 'friendship' by any chance?" The neko spat. "Why am I so nice to them? Perhaps it is because I understand how difficult it is to be rejected for what you can not help. Perhaps I am mindful for the fact that I myself am half human. Perhaps being as I am makes me _lonely_." She growled. "Are you satisfied? I can be a part of neither world because my existence is so wretched to everybody…you have no idea how difficult it is to be torn between two natures. So yes…I _am _lonely and perhaps a bit self-centered… many pardons if allowing myself some social interaction from among the race that I relate to the most is a no-no that I happen to practice. Now that you have officially showed me what you think of me, and made me feel like a selfish bitch tonight, I will assume that you are be going." He caught her wrist. "Let go."

"I think we can be certain within reason that you know _nothing_ about how I think of you." He said simply, releasing the appendage. What? Ivy held her wrist softly, staring apprehensively at him before cautiously heading towards the door.

"Goodnight, Mister Michealis." She curtly closed the door behind her.

"…Goodnight, little pet." The demon smirked.

….

When Ivy woke up at the usual time the next morning it was to the smell of something divine. Her eyes softly blinked open. Lifting her head with a light cat chirp she searched for the source of the smell. Her eyes instantly caught sight of the basket of cookies and cupcakes sitting innocently at the foot of her bed as promised. She crawled over to them, surveying the pastries before plopping into a seated position on her legs feeling very bewildered. He remembered to-…he _bothered_- he….but- Oh! damn it! She pulled at her hair. The only thing she could do in her conflicted state was throw a tantrum of frustration. So she did. She threw herself back into her pillows and muffled an angry string of colorful language. Abusing the poor mattress with her punches and kicks. Why the hell was he so bloody _weird! _Ivy really just wished that she could just throw the basket across the room and scream but that would be a waste of chocolate.

Instead with a huff she straightened herself up, regaining composure. She picked up the basket awkwardly and placed it on the nightstand to perhaps share with the others later. It was time to prepare for the day…ugh…today was the day. Getting dressed, she headed for the kitchen where the others would no doubt be. The neko walked briskly into the kitchen with a cool and collected air. "Good morning, Miss Ivy!" Finnian greeted sunnily. She nodded back.

"Good morning Finni, Maylene, and Bard." She murmured plopping to sit beside Maylene. No sooner had they begun to converse among themselves then did the butler Sebastian Michaelis enter the vicinity. Not that she had not already felt his dark imposing presence coming down the hall.

"Good morning everyone." He greeted with his normal crisp, curt politeness. "At six in the evening, Lord Randal will be visiting. We can not do a thing to cause embarrassment to the young master of the house of Phantomhive." He informed getting right into business. "Maylene, polish the banisters in the front stair way." The bespectacles girl saluted. "Finnian, knock the snow from the trees in the courtyard." The boy nodded eagerly doing the same. "Bard, please find a chicken for tonight's soup." The cook saluted as well sporting his own good guy pose. "Mr. Tanaka….please take it easy." He gave an absent smile as the old man gave a pleased 'ho ho ho.' "Everyone please do the duties assigned to you is that clear? Do not waste your energy on other stuff-" The door creaked open revealing a smiling Indian servant.

"Mister Agni?"

"Since I am also being a burden on this household, please let me do something to help." Agni placed a hand over his heart.

"What about Prince Soma?" The butler inquired. Agni gave a jovial laugh.

"He is in a daze from that 'television' box that Lord Ciel lent to him." He explained. Ivy spaced out a bit, feeling rather neglected considering she still had not been given her assignment. Sebastian smiled at Agni obligingly.

"Then would you be willing to clean the windows? You are taller than me after all." He stated. The neko smiled absently to herself. Ha ha. Agni certainly was. It was funny in an ironic sense. He only looked bigger, Sebastian could probably tear through him like tissue paper under the right circumstances.

"Of course! Leave it to me!" Agni agreed whole-heartedly, taking the bucket from Sebastian's hand.

"Then everyone to your places please." He dismissed the bunch. "As for you Miss Ivy. With me." He grinned smugly, catching her shoulder as they all filed out of the kitchen. "As you heard earlier. Six in the evening we are expecting company. We shall have to get you ready…this uniform will not do for an opera…Lady Durless." Ivy blinked at him. How many aliases was she going to have to live by in the future? "You will be posing as a long lost cousin on the Earl's mother's side. He will be promoting you in order for you to gain independence. This is only temporary so do not be concerned. Come…we had best take care of that corset now shall we?" He chuckled. Ivy sulked in response, blushing. "Quickly now." He led her off.

"Have you no shame?" She hissed.

"Why,_ 'My Lady' _what use would creatures like you and I have for a useless thing like that?"

….

Even after she was fully dressed, Ivy's face was still looking like a radish. How she hated this man. He said nothing, did not even make a comment but his face spoke volumes. The smugness, the cruel amusement. Oh yes it was all there. She currently sat in front of a mirror avoiding looking directly at him as he created a head-dress that disguised her ears as a decoration. His coat was left on a chair and his sleeves were rolled up. She had a whole lot of hair for him to deal with. It was all pinned and he was currently braiding. Ivy was reminded of her mother.

Salena Ashcroft has always taken great pains with her daughter's appearance. She had taken great delight in dressing her up. Sometimes she felt a whole lot like an accessory…that was probably why she hated the idea of make-up, perfumes, and frills being everywhere…everyday. People compared her to a doll often enough anyway…it only made it worse when she was gussied up like colorful show cow. Dolls don't have opinions, dolls don't have voices, Ivy was NOT a doll. "Have I been humiliated enough today? Or is there something else you have to say?" She asked mock sweetly. Sebastian chuckled.

"Apologies, my lady."

"Ick…don't say that. It feels weird." She grimaced. Sebastian her servant? Every feeling revolted at the prospect. How Ciel dealt with that was a mystery to her. "Let's just get this stupid thing over with." The basket was not brought up and Ivy was glad for that. "Where is Ciel?" She asked.

"The young master has been prepared for our outting. He is waiting in his office, taking care of business matters in the meantime." The butler informed. The half breed girl thought that she had, had far too much 'quality time' with the butler this week. That was saying the very least. He took far too many liberties…being dressed by him was very stressful for the poor girl. "You look so flustered, is there something wrong?" He smirked noticing her awkwardness. Ivy glared at him.

"Should there be?" She inquired, not giving him the satisfaction. The butler walked around her to get a better look at her appearance. Gloved fingers captured her chin and tilted her chin up to look at her face. Ivy started briefly but relaxed.

"I should hope not." He scrutinized her for a moment or two before stepping back. "Perfect. You are now ready, prima donna." His tone was teasing but she was far too relieved to have a decent space between them to really care. She sighed and sucked her teeth slightly. That wretched false title was ridiculous.

"I am just a mud-blood, little servant in a nice dress. Don't spew this prima donna nonsense unnecessarily." She told him flatly. He frowned.

"To say otherwise would be an insult to my best efforts and abilities. You are not an easy student."

"…And you make a dreadfully unprofessional teacher." She retorted. If he denied it she would laugh in his face. Sebastian Michaelis was nothing if not sadistic in that way. The demon just grinned at her and motioned for her to exit before him, snatching up his coat. They were going out after all.

"You are forgetting your coat, Miss Ivy." He declared, holding out the black fabric to her. To her delight it was similar to his. She always did want a coat like his. Her face broke out into a smile, but she concealed it and said nothing.

"Thank you, Mister Michaelis."

The preparations were now complete.

* * *

Author's Note: Chapter finally done. I did not revise the last chapter but after I am finished with the whole thing I will go back and re do the format of my writing in the beginning chapters. Anyway, Many thanks for all who are still with me xD. Review and tell what you thought about this…rather uneventful filler chapter. I am off to actually make an attempt at proof reading this one so that I don't look back and kick myself everything I see an error. So uh…I hope everybody is still in character etc, etc and um…Ciao!…I guess.


	24. That Maid, A Demon's Masterpiece

Author's Note: Somebody help get me into the Kuro mood again. My brain is tired….and Nickleback is not being helpful. Perhaps some symphonic metal would help. Its very Sebby-esque…at least to me. Well I'm glad to be getting back to Kitten is Angry now. Geez it felt like it took a million years to find the French Lyrics to La Damoiselle Elue…and even then I'm not sure precisely where it is the chorus ends and the solo begins. .! If you wanna hear the solo, YouTube it and click on the part 2/3 one. Anyhow I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing that I've earned on my own…aint it sad? Except for my stories and disclaimers T_T. I've taken drastic measures and kidnapped Will's death scythe. I sent him a picture of it dangling above the deepest circle of hell -compliments of my darling Sebby- and a ransom note that states my terms if he ever wishes to see it again. I demand that he calls off his stupid over zealous buddies or the garden clippers GET IT!

**Chapter Twenty Five: That Maid A Demon's Masterpiece**

_"The first duty of love - is to listen." - Paul Johannes Tillich _

"What is _he _doing here?" Ivy was not happy with this sudden turn of events. Beside her sat her grumpy-faced little 'employer' with a bored expression as she scowled into the dainty binoculars she had been given. Sebastian sat on the other side of Ciel because the boy refused to allow him beside her. It was like having a pair of two year olds to watch over whenever they were next to each other. So sitting between them -he had deemed- was the best course of action. Ivy certainly would not protest. Nor did such a thing concern her as she glared down at a familiar blond figure seated amongst a few prominent critics. Ciel had grimaced upon noticing him himself.

"It seems as though the Viscount has been keeping himself busy this week." He remarked. That pervert she'd seen from the curry competition was there and none of them seemed very pleased about it. Apparently Ciel could barely stomach the sight of him. Was there a story behind this that she was missing? His presence was met with hatred, disdain, and indifference from the three separate individuals. "Do you think he will be here for auditions, Sebastian?" He asked his trusty butler. The demon stroked his chin with a thoughtful frown.

"It is difficult to say really, young master." He responded. "Viscount Druitt is indeed an avid lover of the arts…but there can be no guarantee of such a thing until we see for ourselves." Ivy made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat. Really, she should have been able to enjoy herself. She had never been to an opera before so the neko girl had hoped that at least the performance would be a good experience before she had to go to that stage after the performance, for the auditions being held for the day. However knowing Druitt might be judging her -the last thing she wanted was to draw his attention in any way- was ruining it. Not to mention all of the people who were giving her odd stares. Bloody gossips were whispering about her and it was distracting. Perhaps if the story line was more entertaining she would find it harder to be distracted.

She could not blame people for being curious. They had never seen her before after all. A new face. A Lady in fact…and in the company of the elusive Earl Ciel Phantomhive who rarely socialized. Still if they thought they were being discreet about this…then they really were a sad bunch. Wagner's Opera, eh? When she had studied operas…most of them had such fascinating plots. Especially one by the name "Der Freischutz" about a man who had made a contract with a demon 'Zamiel' and when his time ran out, attempted to trick a young man into transgression and thus be able to trade _his_ soul in order to keep his own. Why could she not have been watching _that_ one right now? "One can only hope that, that is not the case." She murmured, turning her binoculars back to the stage performers.

It seemed as though the performance was almost at an end. The trio had sat through the acts patiently, observing all that surrounded them. Ciel scoffed. "As long as he does not wish to introduce himself to me. I do not care whether he remains here or in the deepest circles of hell." He remarked. They spoke in hushed voices so as not to disturb the others who sat around them in the dimly lit audience but they still managed to express themselves fully to one another.

The curtain closed and there was an appreciative applause all around. Ivy then felt her nerves bunching in her gut because she knew that it would soon be time. She dropped her little binoculars into her lap, smoothing out her skirts with a small pout. It was so strange to be so richly dressed…after so many years. "Are you ready?" Ciel's voice startled her. He gave her an odd look and raised an eyebrow. Sebastian smirked beside him. She just placed a gloved hand over her chest and let out a breath, readily ignoring the butler.

"As ready as I will ever be without a stiff drink I suppose." She answered finally. Her expression was sour, matching the Earl's constantly disinterested and mildly annoyed scowl today. The boy just nodded at her wordlessly. Both of them wanted to get this over with and go home. Sebastian wanted the same, simply to stay on schedule. Typical of the stiff, dutiful butler. They moved down the aisle gracefully, the three of them looking to be easily among the most elegant and imposing figures to be seen. One bright side to dressing like this in public was that Sebastian was inclined to keep his distance and pretty much do whatever the hell she told him. Now that was entertainment.

There was a simple variety of unknown soprano's wishing for the simple part. There were others however who were better known and they sat confidently…some more so than others. Normally Ivy would have been quite entertained by observing them. Something about women made them feel the need to be constantly competing with one another even for things that had nothing to do with making a living or anything of substance…how ridiculous. Several frowned in her direction and began chattering amongst themselves behind their fans. Ivy's green eyes narrowed in irritation. This was exactly why she was such a private person. People were nosy and stupid…that was never a good combination.

"You seem to be very popular already, my lady." The demon butler teased, from where he stood in front of her…not turning to face her at the moment. She just scoffed and rolled her eyes at his back. "Oh dear…this is indeed unfortunate." The tone in his voice was different this time and caused her to follow his line of vision. What the hell was he talking about? She caught sight of what he meant when her fears from earlier were confirmed. Much to her dismay the Viscount Druitt sat among the owners of the the Opera House and a few other critics. Her face dropped all the more and she hid her facial expression with the large fan she had been supplied with. Damn it all to hell. The little neko groaned and the demon chuckled. "I suppose you will just have to try not to be _too_ charming then." Once again he was making fun of her.

"Shut up, Sebastian." She snapped, not looking at him either.

"Certainly." He relented with a smile. The butler was certainly not being of any help. Ciel gave an amused smirk at all of the intimidated expressions on many of the other competitor's faces. No doubt they knew that when the name of Phantomhive involved itself in anything…-no matter how strange and unexpected-…they always came out on top. The boy knew of this girl's certain…perplexing air of charm…combined with Sebastian's prompting and tutelage…they were bound to fall in love with her. These musicians…the reckless seekers of beauty. Ivy noticed this unhidden confidence and wondered vaguely if the blatant arrogance her half brother sported had been inherited from his predecessor. It seemed that out of the three of them…she was the only one feeling uneasy.

"You look ill." The thirteen year old remarked gruffly. "Calm down." He waved a slender little gloved hand dismissively at her. Ivy pursed her lips in annoyance at this. Well that certainly was easy for _him_ to say. Gods did she hate people sometimes. She made no response…simply settling for a heavy sulk…that is without spoiling her posture. That would just make people stare more at her. The half breed hid her sour, unladylike expression behind her fan…eyeing her surroundings with cold calculation. The had patiently waited for the people clear out before they began auditions.

Sebastian surveyed the singers as they came to audition. The ladies all had lovely voices…many were very much the same however. A common voice style that had become mundane with over use. There were others however with unique and fresh voices. One could not be a trained soprano without being talented after all. He could see nothing to really worry about as his gaze moved about in scrutiny. Now if only a certain young lady would cease her fidgeting, and display a little bit more confidence, and little bit less defensive disdain for everything around her, then they could all relax. He bit back a grin before speaking.

"Miss Ivy, unless you are due for an appointment in the lavatory…please contain yourself." He told her simply. She stared at him in absolute outrage. He was so lucky that they were in a public setting. In her mind she was screaming… 'REVENGE!' It all comes with being half cat demon. No offense meant to cats…they were wonderful creatures…but she knew no creature that could be more vengeful in spirit than a cat. Beware the woman scorned…but fear the neko demon who bares a grudge. Sadly…that bastard of a butler could easily take on anything she dished out to him.

"You call _me_ childish?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Really Michaelis. Anyway that is very easy for you to say, Mister I ooze pristine perfection. I had not even noticed how twitchy I was being for your information. I am doing the best I can. Your comment was childish and unnecessary. Thank you very much." She could hardly wait until she could find her next opportunity call _him _out for his annoying habits. Mostly however, she just wanted to puncture him in the neck with a fork if she were to be honest. Were they ever going to get past this horrible immature bickering of theirs?

"You simply must relax….my lady." He gave a mock lamenting sigh.

"Whatever." She fanned herself and stopped abruptly with an annoyed growling sound in the back of her throat. "Why is it so cold in here?" The warmth of her coat suddenly draping around her shoulders made her eyes widen in surprise. Her cheeks darkened and she had to cover them with her fan…the one that she had never been more happy to be holding. Sebastian was using his disarming smile…little did he realize that, that smile was her least favorite one…it scared the shit out of her in short.

"Is that more to your liking?" He asked lightly. Ivy felt her hair standing on end.

"No it is not!" She whispered harshly at him. "I told you not to do that…it-…its weird…and unnatural….a-and…and you should not be doing it!" At the last part she snapped quietly at him, upset at herself for stuttering like an idiot even if only for a moment.

"Should I not?" He spoke, equally silent and hushed now. "Whether you like it or not, _my Lady,_ as we are now…as a lady of high society and me as a butler, this is only natural." Ivy gave him a sour look as he spoke. "It would be pushing boundaries simply for me to look you directly in the eye, and to leave you in a state of discomfort would be a failure to any respectable servant." Sebastian would never abandon his priorities in his role as a butler. He would keep to the aesthetics of a servant. '…But you are _not_ a servant…' she thought to herself. '…Not really.' Nobody as powerful as he would ever really be one. She clasped her fingers and turned away from him instead, pulling ther jacket further around her shoulders.

"If you are capable of performing in a relaxed state in my presence then you should not have a problem with humans and their far less meticulous ears. You are a lady…please remember what I have taken great pains to engrain stubbornly into your head." He told her, looking around again at their surroundings. "Your very hard, and difficult head." He added in with a hint of mischief. Ivy sharply looked at him a vein protruding on her temple for a second at this remark. He had some nerve.

The neko folded her arms and turned her back fully to him with her nose upturned. Oh she would show him how much of a god damned lady she could be when she damn well wanted to. In her internal fervor she completely missed the knowing grin that took over his features. Ciel frowned at them from where he sat but had no time to comment.

"I believe Earl Phantomhive is promoting a new soprano. Lady Durless is it?" One of the 'judges' of sorts spoke up… and when Ivy turned back around it was as though she were never in a sour mood once in her life. Eyes shining and complexion practically glowing with the show that she was suddenly putting on.

"…Why yes." She smiled with a nod of acknowledgment. "My kinsman, Earl Phantomhive, has been kind enough to agree to promote me." The neko spoke politely, with pleasant, and reserved mannerisms. She clasped her gloved hands in front of herself daintily. He nodded back…strangely impressed by her presence and unsure as to why really.

"Please come up for your turn, my lady." He held out a hand for her.

"Thank you, sir. How very obliging." She smiled. With a graceful flourish, she removed the jacket on her shoulders and handed it to a waiting Sebastian before she…- in only a slightly rude manner- pushed her fan into his chest for him to take. Really, he deserved her to be openly rude but she would not stoop to such a level just because she was angry at him.

The young lady then stepped forward, toward the man waiting on the stage allowing him to help her. Really it was unnecessary, but if she was going to play a part she would play it well. Surveying those watching her, she noticed a few producers that she had been informed of during her research. Oh bugger… and there of course was the Viscount Druitt. He was staring at her very uncomfortably…and blushing shamelessly. 'Don't look at him.' she told herself sharply and nervously. She slid her gaze away abruptly. Ew. He looked as though he were on the verge of one of his speeches… like from back at the curry competition. 'Please don't.' She pleaded, mentally willing him with every fiber of her being not to. How the bloody hell was she supposed to concentrate now?

Biting her lip as she steadied her nerves, her eyes slid their gaze past all the ones intently waiting to listen to her voice. The young woman was a practical bundle of nerves. Then her eyes locked onto the boy and his butler…his dark almost red eyes shined with amusement at her expense. She must have been quite the sight up there. Ivy resisted the urge to make a lewd gesture at him from up there in front of everybody. Regaining her resolve, she began to sing… a sweetly drawn out note breaking the silence with its eerie perfection.

"_Je…voudrais…qu'il fut de - ja pres de moi…Car il vien-dra…" _People must not have expected her to do so well…for there were impressed and dreamy sighs from the audience at the first line. Ivy then felt her confidence growing albeit tentatively. _"Nai-je pas priedans le Ciel?…Surter-re…seign…eur…seign…eur…" _The remaining musicians…curious and possibly partly inspired began to play the piece along with her on a whim. _"…n'a-t'il pas pri-e',…Deux pri-e-res ne sont-el-les pas u-ne for-ce par-fai-te…?" _Finally she was soon able to lose herself in the piece and forget everything…everyone else. People exchanged astonished glances as she continued on.

Where could such a talent have been hidden all of these years among the nobility. A masterpiece, seemingly emerging from nowhere? There was something surreal about the sound of her voice. Who could her instructor have been? Some women stared in admiration…others in envy. Ciel was resting his chin on the palm of his hand in boredom…this would be the easy part naturally. How to deal with circumstances once a group of otherworldly beings came looking for a little run away half breed…would needless to say…be the real challenge. For now the child was under no obligation to pay attention.

"What on earth did you say to her?" He inquired of his servant absently, not bothering to turn his head. Ivy had never looked more reluctant a few moments ago, so what had Sebastian said within the last few minutes that suddenly had her so gung ho now? His faithful servant perked up after being addressed, taking his gaze from the creature on the stage to rest on his young master. A charming smile came over the butler's face.

"There are times when creatures like Miss Ivy simply require the proper motivation." Was the ambiguous response that came from his lips. Ciel frowned, now looking up at him from the seat he had claimed. A silent demand for elaboration. "I simply gave her a reason to prove a point. A nudge in the right direction." The boy scoffed skeptically. Really those two and their antics. No telling what kind of remark his butler had thrown her way. Though at the moment he had no reason to complain. Ivy was proving herself splendidly after all. Having the ears of a half demon gave her an edge like no other above the others. The Viscount certainly seemed won over. Ciel grimaced in sheer disgust, goosebumps rising. The man looked about ready to burst into tears. "I see that my results have come to be quite satisfactory." Sebastian smiled to himself, watching the little creature perform on the stage. Her voice picking up more. Ciel tuned back in.

"_Comme a-lors pour un temps,…ensemble…! …Moi et…lui…" _The solo came to an elegant end with this final line. In the poem this was the part where the damsel was so softly end her song and begin to weep. That was not necessary for now. There was a silence before the audition erupted into praise and applause. Druitt by now could not take it anymore.

He stood to his feet with a hand over his heart and another in the air, his face flushed a shameless pink. "Oooh!" He began…at a lack for words…but not for long naturally. Ivy deflated. "THAT VOICE! LIKE THAT OF A GODDESS! THE ENVY OF THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN! This young lady's undeniable talent is only second to her delicate and chaste beauty! She sings and it soothes the savage beast…the sweet nightingale cringes in shame…and all who listen are agog with delight!" She should have been flattered…but really? "The perfect balance of childlike innocence, and womanly allure…the sweet intones of music that are given life through her lips make even the darkest of creatures be overcome with adoration! This blessed damsel has caused my SOUL TO SOAR…AND MY BODY YEEEAAARRRN!" Oh have mercy. "THE COVERT GARDEN OPERA HOUSE WOULD BE MAKING A GRAVE MISTAKE NOT TO CHOOSE YOU, MY DEAR!" Of course he would be attracted to her childlike demeanor. Sick pedophile type.

Yet and still she managed a brilliant smile and a curtsy. "You are too kind, Viscount." Another stood up. He was tall, and stout with broad shoulders that could easily equal to men…at least it appeared so at the moment.

"I agree Druitt. Lady Durless you must be our blessed damsel. Such a discovery your kinsman has made…a true masterpiece." He spoke with a deep voice that was reminiscent of a tuba to the neko's ears. She gave him another winning smile and a nod. Really so much attention was not very welcome to somebody like Ivy who had been a shut in most of her life, but it was to be expected here.

"I thank you for your kind words." She said. What else could she say?

"Might I inquire as to who your instructor was?" Ivy blanched for a moment at this question before quickly recovering.

"My teacher was indeed very skilled however, he deemed it within both of our benefit that his identity be withheld…I'm terribly sorry." She hated herself for blushing. Technically it was not a lie. She could hear the whispers already beginning not even ten seconds after she answered.

"Indeed…" The producer sounded rather puzzled momentarily before giving a jolly smile once again. "Well, we are pleased to have made your acquaintance…and hope to see much more of you, my lady. Earl Ciel Phantomhive is clearly a man with a daring business mind, and of superb musical tastes." Ivy allowed her gaze to sneak a peek in Ciel's direction with mischief in her smile, he returned it with a smirk of his own. A masterpiece? An interesting concept. Sebastian simply observed the happenings silently as any servant should, with a pleased expression that the day was still going so smoothly. It was only natural that she be called as such…after all what would he do as the butler of Phantomhive if he could not create a masterpiece.

….

Ivy was delighted to be in her familiar, much more secure uniform once again. It was such a relief. Upon returning to the manor, everything was still in perfect order…all thanks to the ever so capable and diligent Agni she was certain. She smiled fondly at the thought. Ah she had come to be so fond of her fellow servants. Agni and Sebastian were both setting the table at the moment. They contrasted so much that it was funny to Ivy as she watched their mannerisms match so well. "Eh? What did you just…?" Agni spoke up, missing a remark that Sebastian threw his way.

"While the guests are here, would you please leave the manor?" The butler repeated with practiced non-chalance and patience. Agni was a bit confused.

"W-why?" He asked.

"Today's guest is the commisioner of Scotland Yard, Lord Randall." The butler explained. "He is the lead investigator in the suspended Anglo Indian incidents." At this Agni looked worried and bewildered, naturally. Ivy frowned a bit.

"What does he want here?" She asked, Sebastian just gave her a brief frown.

"Could it be he's come to arrest me?" Agni asked in a panic. The butler of Phantomhive took it upon himself to assure him otherwise. Placing another plate neatly before one of the chairs.

"Of course not. No one knows the identity of the culprit behind those incidents. Please calm yourself." He admonished. "As for you Miss Ivy. With the dealings that the young master has, it should be no surprise to you that he must fraternize with the yard." He stated, making her stick her tongue out at his back. Agni clenched the drop cloth that he held in his right hand.

"…But…even if I was acting on orders, those incidents were entirely my fault. Shouldn't I be punished properly to make up for my sins?" He inquired meekly. Sebastian let out an annoyed breath and closed his eyes momentarily. Ivy blinked.

"Really Agni, I-" She was interrupted.

"If you were not here, what would happen to Prince Soma? Would you break your promise to stay by his side?" The demon butler inquired. This seemed to offer Agni very little comfort. Sebastian was rather dense to not directly answer, but how could he know better he was a demon after all. Agni tried to protest but was also interrupted as Sebastian turned to walk away. "Everything is over and the incidents will not occur again. Leave the rest to us…and stay in your room. Alright?" Agni lowered his head and made no response, not that Sebastian waited for one. The neko sighed and let out a squeak as she was led away by the wrist.

"Poor Agni." She breathed. "His heart is always in the right place." Sebastian shooed her down the hall.

"Certainly. Please make sure Finnian has not destroyed any of the trees in the garden." He told her.

….

"I shall call upon my master, please wait here for a moment." Sebastian told Lord Randal and his associate Aberline as he led them into the manor. Opening the door, his gut felt like ice had been dropped into it as Agni stood before him with an anxious and sorrowful expression. Immediately he slammed it on him, trying to be discreet as the two men were busy bickering to notice. "Mister Agni, what is going on? You should be out of sight." He hissed softly.

"I've thought it over many times since we spoke, and I think that I should turn myself in after all." The white haired servant responded in an equally hushed voice.

"Listen to me. If you give yourself up here…Soma will react foolishly and cause even more trouble for the young master. Do you understand?" Before another word could be said, Ciel's voice broke the silence.

"Well, well…Lord Commisioner." The boy greeted. "Welcome to the Phantomhive manor." He spoke with all the elegance of a true gentleman. "Preparations for dinner have been completed. Come this way." Ciel Phantomhive was known for being very to the point. This meant Sebastian had to go.

"Please stay out of the way." He gritted to the fellow butler before heading out. Ciel continued to entertain the rather reluctant guests with conversation. As they moved the butler was far too keen feeling for Agni's presence to pay attention.

"-…I do not care if he knows or not, but if that relationship were exposed they would be the ones to get in trouble, isn't that right?" The boy murmured…Sebastian was too distracted. He'd missed it. Suddenly however, two doors were flung open behind the group, revealing a desperate Agni once again. In a move like lightening Sebastian slammed them on him as well. Murmuring a quick explanation to the guests and his master who looked at him oddly.

"Repair the door if it can not shut properly." Ciel ordered knowingly. The butler consented. Taking out a pair of keys and proceeding to lock the door, an irritated vein popping on his temple as he did so. Keep the servant out.

"_Agni…please watch your actions…" _He was really pissing this demon off already. Aberline paused to admire the paintings in the corridor and Sebastian was able to notice the Indian with his face pressed up against the glass, nearly having hell's equivalent of a stroke. Persistant insect! He snatched the curtains closed. They proceeded down the hall and Agni followed window to window only to be treated in the same manner each time. "Everyone, please come this way." He called to them finally leading them through another door. "Dinner will be ready soo-" Then emerged the prince.

"Hey! Cieeel~! I'm bored with that box! Let's play a c-!" The demon butler was on him faster than an eye could blink, clamping a gloved hand over his mouth. Ivy rushed in after, looking quite stressed.

"Sebastian-!"

"Prince Soma." He addressed the teenager. "We have guests today. So could you please obediently stay in your room?" Soma nodded frantically, still petrified of the butler. "Good boy."

"Sebastian listen to me! The door!" She warned, just as the very same doors she spoke of were flung open. He was still trying! This time the sound caught Randall's attention. Sebastian stared in horror for a moment before everything in the room went black as he sent Ivy to silence Agni whilst he doused the lights. There were shouts of surprise and alarm.

"I'm sorry, Agni, but I can't let you do this." She whispered harshly as Sebastian led Ciel and his 'guests' out of the room. He was bound up in ropes and like with a gag over his mouth. She blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Forgive me but I must keep you like this until the guests have gone." Really she'd felt bad for this but his reasoning was maddening. It could not be helped.

…

"Th-That can not be!" Aberline exclaimed at the Phantomhive's dinner table. "Would that not be as thought it were _bribe money?_" Both did not seem happy with the young boy's words. He looked at them through a lone visible blue eye. The light of the flames from large fireplace beside their table flickered along his iris eerily and danced on youthful skin making it look nearly luminous. He was smirking very confidently in their direction. This strange child.

"It is _genuinely_ bribe money." He responded, enjoying this insult to Lord Randall's pride. The older man had not spoken a word in response just yet. "It is a long standing tradition, now to commemorate the settling of the case, I've prepared champagne. Wont you celebrate with me?" He motioned to the bottle in his butler's hands. Aberline slammed his hands down on the table and stood up. Still young and idealistic.

"..But the culprit still has not been ARRESTED!" He shouted.

"Calm down, Aberline." Randall interfered now, looking angry and deafeted. "If her majesty and Phantomhive say it is over….then the culprit no longer exists." Ah, victory was sweet. Which explained the bitter taste in boy and butler's mouths as the doors just then were swung open by a panting disheveled Indian still with several ropes dangling off his arms. The two officers frowned curiously at him.

"THE TRUTH ABOUT THE CASE IS, I-!" A lightening move from Sebastian soon silence the white haired man as he used his thumb to pop the cork from the champagne bottle toward him, with such force that Agni was knocked off of his feet once it hit him in the head. It bounced off of the foreigner and was gracefully caught by the demon. A deafening silence followed.

"Oh my…I apologize…are you alright? Agni stared in surprise with a hand over his mouth. Not a moment sooner, Prince Soma who was supposed to be obediently waiting in his room entered the dining hall with a yawn thinking out loud murmuring about how hungry he was. Where precisely had Ivy gone?

"Who are these people?" Randal demanded with a curious frown. Ciel sighed.

"Lord Randall, I apologize for all of the fuss." Sebastian spoke up. "These two are-" His young master cut him off calmly.

"This is the Prince of Bengal, Soma and his servant Agni." He stated. "They are good friends of mine who are staying here while they study English culture." The explanation was perfect. The Prince however had other things on his mind as he stared in surprise. Good friends? He had said…good friends! Overjoyed, he embraced the small boy.

"Cieeeel~! You've finally admitted it! You really DO think of me as a friend!" The seventeen year old looked near tears as Ciel simply gasped and sputtered for air in his grip. Why did everybody who loved him wish to suffocate him? Randall and Aberline sweat dropped at the sight. Now to put an end to all of today's mayhem. Sebastian stepped forward with the champagne ready. Ciel spoke to his guests once again, getting back into the perfect host mode.

"To settle this incident, you also went through great pains for this case. Please, let me offer you this as congratulations." Sebastian smiled cheerfully in the meantime and poured the mild liquor into their glasses. The boy gave a hidden sigh of relief. "Then…" He raised his glass and everyone soon followed. "For resolving a conflict once again…" Everybody joined in with a hearty.

"CHEERS!"

….

"I'M SO VERY SORRY!" Agni was apologizing profusely, bowing low to the ground alongside his equally apologetic master. "If Sebastian sir had not stopped me-!" Ciel was in no mood for dallying. He was too angry at them for the near disaster they had caused him. Too close! He piped in, glaring at them from where he sat with his legs crossed and arms folded. Sebastian stood beside him with a frown of disapproval and Ivy on the other side looking quite upset herself.

"If you had turned yourself in a place to which I am not connected then I could care less!" He shouted. "However, as _this_ scenario played out I would have been caught up in it as well!" Soma turned to his servant.

"That is right, Agni. Do not trouble my friends." Well some friend he was right now. "Also! You are _forbidden_ from turning yourself in! That is an order!" Soma added in before Agni could say another word. He simply bowed again in submission.

"..Jo Ajha.. I must also apologize for locking Miss Ivy in the wine cellar in order to do so." The neko huffed. That had been plain embarrassing, but of course such a place could not contain her for very long. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her. Clearly he would want an explanation later.

"I will accept the apology, Agni." She let out a resigned breath of air.

"Well since we've received permission from our dear friend, Ciel to stay here…lets go to bed." The Prince proposed happily. Agni agreed.

"Fine…I will let you stay at my manor." Before Soma could rejoice however, he held up a stern finger. "However! People who do not work can not stay." There was his condition. No free rides for this Prince. Soma blinked in surprise at the new concept.

"Me work? A Prince?" He asked.

"Indeed." The young Earl responded with little feeling in his voice. "In return I will pay you. In other words you will be earning money through your own efforts. You wish to become a great man, free from your parents correct?" This perked up the young monarch quickly.

"Yes! What is it that I must do?" He asked enthusiastically. The Earl stroked his chin in thought with a smirk.

"Let us see…how would you like to manage my townhouse in London with Agni?" He inquired. "It is a very difficult task, I would not ask anybody else. Can you do it?" Ciel linked his fingers under his chin, amused by the Prince's eagerness to prove his own worth.

"I will do it! Leave it to me!" He agreed whole heartedly. Now he was able to rejoice. He pranced around as the weary little Earl took his leave. So sleepy. Ivy and Sebastian watched him leave. Seems it was time to tuck him in.

…..

Ivy was actually rather surprised as she washed dishes that Sebastian had not entered sooner. So when he emerged she had no qualms about stating it. "Funny. You usually leap at the chance to bully me. What kept you away for so long?" She moved aside for him unconsciously as he neared. He kept his arms behind his back and said nothing. Slowly, Ivy turned to look at him with innocent eyes. Trying not to laugh nervously and found that he was smirking at her…and whats worse she was actually _relieved _by it.

"I could really ask you the same thing…how long did it take you to get out of that cellar and how on earth did Agni manage to get you in there?" He chuckled. She blinked, parting her lips a few times to find the words.

"You…aren't angry? Usually you get so upset for much less…I…Oh my god you are going to kill me aren't you?" Sebastian stared blankly. Really. This female.

"No. Honestly, little one." He scoffed. "Furthermore…you failed to answer my question. What ever happened?" Ivy face palmed.

"Alright. Well after we bound him and you led the Sorcerror and his apprentice into the dining hall with Ciel…I…sort of…left him by himself to check on something….-let me finish the story before you ask!- " She held up her hands at the look the butler gave to her. "…I tried to come back as quickly as I could because I knew Agni would not stay tied up for long on his own…but when I returned he was already loose and I turned to go find him…but he caught me off guard and used his right hand of god on me and locked me in the nearby cellar. I had to manually pick the lock because those doors were expensive and there was no way I could explain to him how somebody my size could shatter something to large." A cloud formed over her head. "There are many spiders in there by the way." She muttered.

Sebastian nodded, smiling at her expression. "What exactly did you have to attend to that required your attention so quickly rather than keep an eye on him?" He inquired smoothly. Now Ivy sighed deeply again.

"Come." She dried her hands. "I can show you much better than I can tell you." Her small hands gripped his arm tugging him after her. The demon butler frowned curiously. "Just be sure to try not to get too excited…please." What on earth was she talking about? From what he could observe she was leading him to the servants quarters. Was there something else she was hiding? Curious thing. When she stopped him in front of her bedroom door he raised an eyebrow.

"I hope you have a better explanation than a bedroom door." He drawled. Ivy gave him a sour expression.

"You are so witty, Sebastian Michaelis. Really." She dead panned with clear sarcasm. "Of course. I was not showing you the bedroom door. I just stopped to tell you not to make any stupid comments just because I was inviting you into my room. Give me some credit I know you a little bit better than when I first arrived here." The half breed girl opened her door gently as she spoke and peeked inside. "Is everything alright?" She spoke softly into her room. The butler was puzzled. "Come on. She wants to see you." Pushing the door open completely, she allowed Sebastian to look into her room.

He could not believe his eyes as they fell upon the sight of his favorite cat…and a litter of her very own kittens in a cardboard box with towels and newspaper. The smile was unavoidable. Ivy shook her head at him before explaining. "I was checking the trees outside as you said…I found her in labor and I could not leave the poor thing as she was in the snow." Without a word Sebastian entered the room after her. "The young master does not allow cats, but who would ever think twice about finding cat hair on _me_?" She giggled. "Are they not adorable?" She sat down, and gently stroked their fur as they fed from their mother.

"They are marvelous." He knelt beside the bed and rested his chin on the mattress to look at them. Once again he was blushing and Ivy could not help but laugh at him.

"Sebastian. If you accepted others as easily as you do kittens this world would quite probably be such a nicer place." She laid beside them on her stomach, resting her head on her pillow and kicking her legs up and down wearily. His gaze slid to her momentarily before going back to the kittens.

"Perhaps if people were less aggravating and more charming and endearing as cats are, then I _would_…however I do not rightly know whether I would like that as I'd rather not eat a poor defenseless kitten." He wiggled his fingers as one of them strayed and began to nip at his gloves. "Ah. How adorable." Ivy had never seen him so…soft and happy. If one did not know Sebastian and watched him with a cat they would mistake him easily for a softie. "To be fair…there are human beings who provide decent entertainment for one such as myself." He chuckled. Ivy propped herself up.

"_Everything_ has to entertain you." She replied simply. "Believe it or not Sebastian the world does not exist for your entertainment. We all have better things to do than alleviate your boredom." As she finished her statement there a forlorn mewl from one of the little ones and her ears perked straight up, eyes looking down at the kittens. "Oh shweetie! I know. I'm sho shorry." She gently picked up the runt of the litter, baby talking him soothingly. His brothers and sisters had thwarted his attempts at feeding himself. "You four make room for your brother." She scolded sternly, still cuddling him as she moved them aside. "Much better." She put him back.

Her eyes moved up and caught the butler's gaze watching her intently. He grinned as she caught sight of his scrutiny. "Your nurturing, maternal instinct is a strong quality in your persona." Ivy pursed her lips awkwardly and nodded. Was that important? "It is rare in any female of my kind, rather fetching." She looked at him again with slight surprise.

"Fetching? Are you implying that you have considered reproducing before?" This seemed very unlikely from someone like him.

"Perhaps…on the rare off occasion." He did not seem at all affected by her surprise. She looked agog in fact. "Is that really so extraordinary?" The dashing servant really tried not to laugh at her expression. "Have you never thought at least once about it?"

"That is different. You simply do not strike me as the fatherly type. Anyway I would have to say yes, once when I was more naïve I secretly cherished the hope to someday have children of my own." She stated. "However any children that I produced would likely be subject to the same life and treatment as I was. Like this little runt, the smallest, the scorned, expected to live briefly…not a happy life."

"Well that would make it a wise idea to find a mate powerful enough to protect them, rather than chase after humans." He said flatly. She laughed.

"Who would want me? Demon or human? Who? Do not be absurd, Sebastian." She rolled her eyes. There was a moment of silence and she quickly broke it because silences were usually followed by 'Creepy Sebastian' and she did not like that Sebastian very much. "What was _your _childhood like?" He looked taken aback by the question.

"I've not recalled it in centuries." Was his only response. "In anycase it is a long story that would take up the time that you should really be using to sleep now." He told her. "Tommorow shall be busy. The young master and I will be heading out to see this…circus. We will not be back for some time." Now she was horrified.

"What?" She exclaimed. "You can't leave me here! Agni is going away tonight too! I'll be all alone to deal with the servants!" Her ears fell back. Sebastian ruffled her hair.

"You have done fine before."

"That was _one _day! Not a potential week!"

"There is nothing I can do to help." He smirked. "I am sorry." She threw her pillow at him which he easily dodged as usual.

"Fine! Get out! As if you would want to help anyway! Sadist bastard. Out with you!"

"Must I leave already? How cruel of you…I assumed you were warming up to me, after all you have trusted me enough to bring me in here…" He trailed running his fingers up her exposed calve and she jumped, completely outraged. She kicked him in the chest, making even him stumble.

"_**OUT**_!"

A masterpiece indeed. He grinned as the door was slammed behind him.

* * *

Author's Note: And there you have it. I hope you guys liked it and that there aren't too many errors. Remember to leave me my reviews. They really help and encourage me. Not much to declare so um…Ciao! And Thank you for sticking with me so far. :3


	25. That Maid SelfCentered

Author's Note: I'm back! Orlando was fun and I can write without the interruption of annoying little babies, pissing puppies, and nosy ANNOYING cousins who insist on reading over your shoulder while you type. I CAN'T CONCENTRATE LIKE THAT DAMN IT! . So anyway back to Kitten is Angry. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Really…it was difficult to figure what I was going to do about Ivy during the Circus Arc. I wanted so much to put her in a costume and give her a stage name but…explaining away her ears and tail proved to be too difficult and the solutions all seemed so ridiculous that I decided to keep her in cat form throughout most of it. TT^TT. All will be well.

Disclaimer: So I'm in the clear…for now. There's no telling when somebody will start to get on my case again so just so we're all aware…Yana owns Kuro. Not me. Chill yall. The Anime would have ended a whole lot differently if it were me who wrote it. Anyway Disclaimer over. Movin right along.

**Chapter Twenty Six: That Maid Self Centered**

"_Music makes one feel so romantic…-at least it always gets on one's nerves-… which is the same thing nowadays." _-Oscar Wilde

Morning was always the coolest and crispest when spent at the Phantomhive manor. Winter air always woke Ciel up quickly. He stepped out of his manor with all the posture and pride of a nobleman, donning his signature top hate and cane as he walked ahead of his servant down the front steps. Sebastian walked behind him in his usual black, buttoned down coat. In his hands he carried two trunks of the Earl's belongings.

"What a splendid job of clearing things up, young master." He complimented dutifully about the day before. "It is wonderful weather for the circus, don't you think?" Ciel hated when he tried to behave more human than necessary. He was never one for small talk. The boy did not bother with a response, simply allowing his butler to speak…unheeded for the most part. There was no obligation for him to really pay attention, Sebastian didn't care if he did anyway. All of the servants stood outside the manor ready to bid their young master farewell. Except one. There was Tanaka, Maylene…Finnian…and Bard. Hmm.

"Why is there one servant missing?" The young earl asked out of the blue. These details could never be over looked at their manor. Any little detail or inconvenience could mean trouble. Especially when a currently hunted half breed was involved. Sebastian cleared his throat and they all straightened their posture. Dark eyes surveyed them before smiling obligingly as he picked on the weakest link.

"Finnian." He called. The gardener jumped slightly. Sebastian certainly knew how to use intimidation toward his benefit.

"Yes?" The boy managed.

"Where is Miss Ivy?" The demon butler tilted his head…as if daring the boy to lie. Dark green eyes stared blankly at him before looking around at the other servants. "Do not look at them." He grinned. "I asked you after all…not the others." Like a fish out of water…the head -and only- gardener of the Phantomhive manor opened and shut his mouth as if unsure of the answer to the butler's question. Oh yes, he looked very much left out of the loop. Bard and Maylene simply shifted their footing awkwardly as if waiting to be spoken to. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"I…I don't know…maybe she's still inside?" The boy proposed. Bard cleared his throat for his attention. If Ivy were there she would have been able to openly call him out for picking on poor Finni…but alas she was not. Bard kept up his duty reluctantly. He was in no hurry to get himself a triple deluxe ice cream today.

"Um…Ivy woke up with us earlier…Finni was still asleep and she said that she was going to rush to get some work done and then she had to head out to buy herself a few things that she said she needed for the week." He stated. Sebastian again raised an eyebrow at this.

"Could she not have waited until the young master had already left for that?" He inquires. At this, Bard began to blush and stutter. What on earth could embarrass Bard to such a degree? Maylene…-although nervous herself- seemed to be uncharacteristically amused by her fellow servant's reaction to the question. The Head Chef grimaced.

"No…it _really_ couldn't have." Now Sebastian was getting tired of this run around. Honestly. Bard cleared his throat at the butler's expression. "Do I really have to say it?" He asked and looked at Maylene and Tanaka with an imploring gaze. They stared in silence and Bard huffed at them. Bastards. "She kinda…sorta was in a rush."

"Ho…ho…ho…"

"Shut it old man!" He raged in embarrassment. "Look! She went out to get some _s-…_some _s-…_" Poor Bard just couldn't quite get the words out without feeling squeamish. "Maylene had a small…issue with…well she…you see…this morning…the girls…" Ciel was getting impatient, and when the butler's expression became stern and his posture stiffened Bard sputtered. "ALRIGHT! SOUTHALL'S SANITARY TOWELS FOR LADIES! I SAID IT! HAPPY?" He wretched and Sebastian and Ciel were both incredibly annoyed that, he had been having such trouble simply over such an idiotic issue. How immature. "Great. Now I have to go gargle bleach." The head chef took a long drag from his cigarette.

The roll of Sebastian's eyes was open and clearly annoyed. "Is that what you made such a fuss over?" He inquired 'pleasantly' as he placed the suitcases on the courtyard floor. Bard scratched the back of his head awkwardly in response. Before he knew it, he was crying out as Sebastian punched him in the head three times. "Grow up if you please." The reprimand was stern and irate.

"We had an emergency this morning, we did." Maylene spoke up, adjusted her glasses. The butler pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"If it was such a hassle for Bard to say anything in that regard. Why did _you _not explain and save the time?" He stared flatly at the maroon haired girl. She blushed and looked anywhere but Sebastian's face.

"You were asking _Bard_ not us…you hate it when we interrupt remember?" Though she kept herself seemingly submissive for the most part he could feel an air of something almost amused about her. It seemed that she was spending far too much time with Miss Ivy. The neko was making the other servants cheeky with her influence perhaps.

"Indeed…" He frowned. "Well then." Curtly, he lifted the two trunks from where he placed them on the ground. "From today on, the young master and I will be staying in London for a little while." He informed them mechanically. Bard was elated that Sebastian would be leaving already. God he was such a ball buster. The butler opened the door dutifully for his young master as the four servants gave their farewells and good wishes.

"Young master! Take care!" Bard called brightly, absently nursing the bumps on his head.

"Take caaree~!" Finnian seconded the chef's wishes, waving goodbye with a happy blush dusting his cheeks.

"Be safe." Maylene added wiping a tear from her face with her handkerchief. She would miss the both of them dearly. The tall black clad servant pack up the two trunks, and opened the carriage door for his master, all with his usual diligent air. The young Earl stepped to the door and paused before entering. Posture perfect and regal as ever as a silence followed.

"…You lot…" He called their attention gruffly. All of the servants stood at attention, as their young master rarely ever addressed them personally in such a serious manner. He turned his head over his slender shoulder to look at them. Touching a black gloved hand to his equally black top hat. "While I am away, I entrust this household into your hands." The look in his eyes was a look of seriousness and trust. It was an order! An order directly from the master to them! Something inside each servant of Phantomhive's guts buzzed with warmth. They gave a start of surprise before responding with a hearty-

"YES, My Lord!" It was like a chorus, so simultaneous. Their faces all shined, ready for the week ahead.

….

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Prince Soma's hearty laughter was not particularly mocking per say upon Ciel Phantomhive's arrival in London. However the light and slightly self satisfied tone of his voice was still enough to make the thirteen year old seethe, and shudder all at once. A gloved little hand tightened around his wooden cane. "What Ciel? Did you miss me already?" He was beaming, both hands resting on his hips and his eyes shut in a jolly wide open mouthed smile as he spoke. "What a lonely boy!" The boy chewed the inside of his cheek.

Behind him stood Agni with a similar expression, only he was simply more pleased to see them than anything else. "Welcome Ciel, sir." The tall servant greeted the boy and butler enthusiastically with a bow at the waist. "What brings you and Sebastian sir to London for a visit so soon?" It indeed was a surprise to see them after only a night of it being just the two of them at the Earl's townhouse. There would have been no sense in assuming he was here to check on their progress if it had only been one night. So naturally he was curious as to what exactly the boy needed if he did not simply miss the prince's company.

"A few unforeseen business matters have made it necessary that I lodge here in London for the time being." He responded shortly. Agni nodded and bowed respectfully once again in his usual manner, before he hurried to aid Sebastian with the luggage. Soma was certainly thrilled by this turn of events as he was soon chattering away to Ciel about stuff and nonsense.

The demon butler allowed the assistance simply out of politeness and to keep up appearances. Agni would have insisted anyway. "Thank you." He smiled with a slight start, handing one of Ciel's trunks to the dark skinned man. They would be lodging here for tonight and then make their way to pay a visit to the yard. It would be a hassle to get passed the Lord Commissioner Randal but as the Phantomhive butler, what would he do if he were not capable of such a thing?

He and Agni carried the luggage up the stairs, walking behind the two boys as Soma continued to babble incessantly, now and then laughing loudly at his own stories. "The trip was a pleasant one I hope?" The Indian smiled at Sebastian. The butler nodded with a smile of his own.

"Well I certainly have no reason to call it unpleasant." He stated. It had in fact been completely boring but he was easily bored, thus going diplomatic would be the best way to respond. The butler had hoped that by giving him short answers that he would take the hint for silence but alas that was asking too much of Agni. He was even more lost in limbo to social context clues than Ivy was it seemed because he simply kept talking cheerfully on and on. Meh…it could have been worse. Agni was far from incompetent so Sebastian deemed him worthy of tolerance.

"I hope Miss Ivy was not too upset when she learned that you had to leave as well. The poor thing was near tears last night begging me not to leave her." He laughed fondly. The butler raised an eyebrow. "Well…I had tried to console her with the fact that you would be there to help her but it only seemed to make her cry harder…strange. I guess she had already learned by then that you would be leaving in the morning as well?" The white haired servant stroked his chin thoughtfully. Sebastian made no response. Agni cleared his throat awkwardly at this and picked up his pace a bit. "Was she horribly upset?" He squeezed in one final question and Sebastian paused to watch him for a moment. Was Agni milking him for some sort of information?

"I can assure you Agni that Miss Ivy's well being is taken care of. You mustn't concern yourself so much." He stated, walking ahead again. Honestly. It was undue attention. He had not abandoned her in the ninth circle back home, it was only three buffoons and a manor. Did the mortal fancy himself Miss Ivy's caretaker? How repulsive of an idea that was. Every fiber of his dark being revolted at the concept. Half breed or not, she was capable of caring for herself better than this human man could fathom being.

"Don't misunderstand." Agni responded with a jovial smile. "She is simply…troubled…as your friend I thought I might s-"

"Sebastian. Enough dallying behind." Ciel said calmly but clearly annoyed that he had been left alone with the aggravating prince. With a curt nod Sebastian hastily took the second trunk from Agni's hand as said Indian gazed apologetically at him for the momentary distraction. "Let's make this quick. I'm hungry and have important things to attend to tomorrow and so on." The young Earl went back to his usual 'sunny' demeanor in an instant. "And I want a parfai for desert tonight."

"You'll excuse me." The demon butler stated with a stiff bow towards Agni. He bowed gallantly at the waist with a hand on his chest towards Ciel. "Yes, my lord." Soma rose to the occasion generously.

"Well then! Ciel's butler! Two pairs of hands are always better than one. Agni! You will aid Sebastian in this task and I can entertain midget-Ciel." Egotistical teenagers were all the same. The butler was certainly in no mood for company in the kitchen. Two pairs of hands are always better than one. He had a few wild guesses as to who taught the boy that phrase. Agni placed his hands together and bowed compliantly to his master.

"Jo Ajna." As a certain little half breed would say….'damn it.' Now to take care of this baggage.

….

Ciel Phantomhive was a busy little bee. A busy little bee with a nasty little stinger, who wont necessarily die after using it once. Sneaking into the file room of a London police station was nothing to him. He did not care, nor would he bat an eye at a potential breaking an entering charge. As if he -one of the most feared among the Queen's evil nobles- would have to worry about such a thing. Aberline chattered nervously to them when he'd found them, expressing his protests that they be here, looking through files without the Commisioner Randal's supervision. Lord Randal who was ever so conveniently not around today. Good.

"In anycase." He interrupted him. "It is very convenient then that Lord Randal is absent, isn't it?" Ciel was such a presumptious child but he already knew that. The question was…did he care? Not really. His statement only seemed to make poor Aberline all the more nervous. He piped up all the more fervently. After all he was still young and idealistic as ever.

"Please forgive me, but if the Commisioner found out about this-!"

"It is better that he does not." The boy stood upright cane held proudly in one hand, and his top hat sitting in it's rightful spot on his head. Sebastian was kneeling over several files of missing children, memorizing their features with a meticulous, otherworldly eye as he copied a few of the papers. The future commisioner blanched momentarily at the interruption but quickly recovered after one or two stutters.

"W-…Yo-…Anyway!" He waved chaotically trying to think clearly. "How did you even get into the third story file room in the first place!" The demand for an explanation was duly ignored by both other parties in the room. Instead the young earl turned to face his duty engrossed servant curtly. The lack of respect would have been appalling if the young inspector had not been too busy fearing for the fate of his state of employment should his superior discover what he had allowed to transpire.

"How does it look, Sebastian?" The thirteen year old spoke with such authority…he sounded far older than he should have. His manner never ceased to amaze those around him. His tall, impressive butler got to his feet calmly, still looking over some papers.

"Of the children that we've been asked to investigate, there have been no sign of any corpses." Sebastian responded promptly and dutifully. Ciel gave a wordless nod, that much faith he had in his trusty servant.

"If you have finished copying the files, we are leaving." The boy declared gruffly. "May I borrow these photos?" He finally acknowledged Aberline again. Quickly he voiced his thoughts on the subject.

"_**That would be troublesome!**_" He protested with fervor. If Randal noticed that some photos were missing he would know what happened. There would be no lying to the man. Who did these two think he was? He was not a rebel by nature, nor was he some sort of fearless, prodigy noble…person. Ciel waved it off.

"If you are caught, simply tell him that I took them." He offered. The man nearly had a panic attack. He was taking them anyway? Oh come on!

"I'll still be scolded!" The indignity of it all. He felt like a child being encouraged to disobey their parents by their friends…well…peers. It was like they did not even hear him! Ciel Phantomhive just turned to him with his single oceanic blue eye focusing absently on his general form. "You…" He trailed. "Hmm, let's see….Underline is it?" Really? Was he just _trying _to be a little jack ass now? He was too surprised to react and simply corrected him awkwardly.

"It's Aberline." He told the child before him. The same blue eye now shut casually as he grunted understanding and turned away.

"Thank you for today." He waved him off and his tall handsome butler took a slight bow, with a pristine, white-gloved hand over his chest. They both always looked so sharp. Quite the pair. Said butler walked up to him with a smile in a very mechanical and routine sort of manner. He took Aberline's hand and placed something in it before closing the inspector's fingers over it. This earned a curious frown.

Opening his hand, Aberline's eyes popped at the sight of four gold coins nestled innocently in the palm of his hand. Bribe money! "I don't need this!" Once again his shouting was unheeded. Have you ever been six years old trying to convince your parents NOT to enroll you in school? Well…this felt quite similar. "I knew you used whatever methods necessary to solve cases as quickly as possible…but this is…-!" He cut himself off because words did not seem to get him anywhere and simply placed the money stubbornly back into Sebastian's hand. With that the two were finally off.

"Hurry up and get promoted…Mr. Aberline." Ciel called on his way out. Sebastian placed a hand in front of Ciel just then, stopping dead in his tracks. The boy gave him a questioning glance.

"One more thing…if you will beg my pardon." He turned around moving back to the cabinets. "I highly suggest you inform the Commissioner that security must be made tighter around here." He murmured as he seemed to be stalking the file cabinets, walking back and forth. Ciel sweat dropped…what on earth was he on about? The butler gave a wicked smirk as he gripped one of the drawers and pulled it open abruptly. Nothing. "Otherwise…" He made to open another one and instead snatched open the one above it. His arm reached in and snatched out a fluffy silver tabby kitten, with its ears back and paws covering it's furry little face. "Just any little thing could get in here." The inspector sweat dropped. Ciel looked very unhappy suddenly.

"How in the-?"

"Nevermind." The boy nearly barked. "Let's go, Sebastian. Now." Oh dear…he was stalking out of the room. That was never a good sign. Green eyes peeked out from under rounded little paws but were quickly covered again. The demon shook his head at her and let out a sigh.

"What am I to do with you?" He raised an eyebrow. She was too stubborn for her own good. Really. He had almost missed her too. Ivy Ashcroft shook her head 'no' repeatedly for whatever reason. "I might have known."

"Sebastian! Hurry up." Ciel stuck his head back through the door with an are-you-kidding-me?- expression.

"Yes, my lord." He nodded, placing her under his arm and following after him. Ivy gave a soft sound that clearly meant 'I am in so much trouble right now.' Aberline stood in puzzlement as he stood in the file room. Now alone, scratching his head and checking out the windows with a bewildered frown.

….

Ivy was dumped onto the carriage seat beside Sebastian who sat across from a certain miffed little boy. Ciel sat with one arm folded across his chest sternly and the other held a hankercheif over his nose, his visible eye narrowed, and his legs were crossed. He often sported that pose when in a sour mood. Well….more sour than usual…after all he was about as light and cheerful as a block of flint stone. Ciel and flint…now there was a comparison. The boy was certainly just as easily ignited as flint. At the right angle and under good enough circumstances it was simple to cause a fire. "What exactly do you think you are doing?" He demanded.

The little kitten's ear perked momentarily as she cautiously sat up and allowed her tail to wrap around herself, her ears flattened once again at Ciel's expression.

"Good afternoon, young master." She greeted softly.

"Change back at once." His stern tone was so embarrassing. To be scolded by a child.

To be fair…he was no ordinary boy. It was only naturally to be intimidated by a temperamental and ruthless child who had you completely at his mercy. He owned a bloody _**demon **_for crying out loud, the most powerful demon that Ivy had ever seen in her life in fact, and could order him to dispose of her in any manner he so wished him to. In an instant she was seated beside Sebastian wearing her fresh civilian attire that she had worn upon visiting Wesley and Roxana. "What gave me away?" She asked evenly, accepting that she was currently very likely to be punished in a moment. Ciel just looked at Sebastian at the question.

"Pet dander. Clearly cat hair as dog hair is much more coarse and a dog is dreadful at climbing at all never mind a third story window, not to mention the fact that said dander was only found in all the proper files pertaining to this case, no animal is that intelligent, it was also the proper color…I could go on but I believe the young master has questions of his own that he wishes to be answered." The butler spoke with his usual nonchalant air. Ivy carefully clasped her hands in her lap and moistened her lips awkwardly.

Ciel gave a muffled sneeze. "As I asked, what precisely are you doing?" He inquired. "Aside from the obvious. What sort of nonsense logic deemed it alright for you to sneak out of the manor while you are so dangerously pursued by your clan, and that intruding on my business was alright?" Certainly Ivy knew she had no excuse or anything that justified her. She had nothing.

"Young master…I can only beg for forgiveness and assure you that I had no intention of being out for long….my nature is a curse." She spoke humbly. "I was told 'no' and it did not sit well with me…and I tried to control myself really I did but as a neko demon I couldn't help but be contrary…then my curiosity as a neko _also_ got the best of me as well. Really I understand that I can not blame everything on my blood instincts but I only mean to tell you what happened and -Oh!- I've always wanted to visit a circus anyway…I thought I could look around for something useful…that it might be exciting for once, and I swear that I did not leave the manor without _some _manner of precaution." She was nervous. She only babbled when she was nervous. "I stowed away in Agni and Soma's belongings after rehearsing a specific story over and over with Bard and Maylene. While Finni slept." Sebastian shot her a scandalized look.

His mind quickly worked over all of the pains she took to keep him out of the truth. It was ingeniously meticulous. She had purposely left Finnian out of the loop knowing that the butler would pick on him as the weakest link of the group. She chose her story based on the known fact that Bard would have never made up a story about feminine sanitary towels as an excuse…such a topic he avoided like the plague…and she'd managed to get him to used it for the most part. She'd even rehearsed it with them to make sure that they didn't faint in fear attempting to lie to him, which would have been a dead give away. That conniving little…brilliant creature. One missing piece…where had she been staying all week?

Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose. Was it normal for a thirteen year old to be losing their hair already? Too. Much. Stress. Ivy sat, anxiously wringing her hands as he remained silent and proceeded to read the letter that she had intercepted when it arrived….but they didn't have to know about that little detail. She looked out the window, hating the silence that he forced her to endure as he read the Queen's letter over. He looked back up at her. "I am going to tell you now that I do not appreciate wild and upredictable pawns." He murmured. So strange how he could multitask so well, leaving her in anxiety as he thought over what he should do to keep her in line. Again with the Chess talk.

The Queen may sound very motherly and soft in her letters…but Ciel knew better. He kicked out his leg casually, reading the contents. Her majesty's distinctive scrawl easily recognized.

_To My Cute Little Boy,_

_Did you pass this year's Christmas enjoyably? I made a Christmas pudding with my Philip. It was a grand thing and even John and Grey praised it. Next time, you will try it too wont you? _

_In anycase…this time I have enclosed for you a ticket. Did you know that a traveling circus has come to London? It seems they are a troupe visiting various places, but somehow in each city that they have performed in, it seems that there have been incidents where a number of children have simply disappeared. _

_The Government is also searching for them to the utmost of its ability but the children's whereabouts are as of yet, still unknown. Apparently the children dissapear suddenly in the middle of the night. Really it is as though they have been kidnapped by the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Oh the unbearable sorrow of being separated from their precious families. I am asking you to safely return them to their families as quickly as possible._

_-Victoria_

"Young master." Sebastian caught Ciel's attention. "If this situation deals with the underworld, does that not mean we will be visiting _his _place once again?" He inquired. At this Ciel let out a sigh. Ivy decided that they were both big fat douches who should have whatever poor thrashing creatures that crawled up their asses surgically removed. She went crazy being ignored when she was in trouble.

"I wanted to avoid it but…" Ciel trailed as he recalled the greeting he had received a week ago upon coming across his townhouse. It made his blood boil. "I want to return to the manor as soon as possible. _Let's go_."

"Yes sir."

"Wait…who are we visiting?" She demanded. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her.

"_You_ are visiting no one." Ciel dead panned sternly. "_We_ will be entering the Undertaker's shop and you will remain here in the carriage in the meantime. Which reminds me…it can not be helped. We have no time to take Ivy back home. I refuse to waste time when Her Majesty has urged me to use as little time as possible. A convenient side to this is Ivy's obvious skills in infiltrating and stealth work…she did after all evade you Sebastian. This one time I will allow her to use this opportunity to prove herself useful." He informed. Now to drop the bomb as her face lit up. "However." He raised a gloved finger. "I refuse to have my authority undermined…Ivy. The next time you blatantly pull such a stunt I will…" He trailed as if contemplating the worse punishment possible. His eyes lit up as he came up with just the thing. "I will order Sebastian to give you an obviously much needed _spanking_…and I mean it quite literally."

Ivy gaped in horror. "Oh Ciel! You couldn't do such a thing!" He held up a hand to dismiss her protests.

"My name is Earl Phantomhive." He corrected. "I have done much worse I promise you, thus I will not hesitate to allow such an insignificant thing. In anycase…you have nothing to worry about if you heed my warning. So there is no need for your wailing." The carriage came to a stop as Ivy paled significantly. Sebastian covered his snickering with his hand. "Also. We have no ticket for you. Thus if it is necessary to examine this circus firsthand, I fear you will have to be brought along in your cat form. As Sebastian's pet as I am allergic and refuse you carry you around like a stuffed rabbit." Ivy turned an even more ashen color at this and the demon laughed all the more. The neko eyed him out of her peripheral vision before turning to glare at him slowly. "Sebastian. We are here. Let's go." Ciel ordered curtly.

"Yes, my lord." And that had been that. Served her right for meddling around.

….

"What kept you?" Ivy asked almost meekly as the boy and butler returned. Ciel grumbling to himself, looking beyond annoyed and a bit disturbed. It had taken them quite a while to return.

"I hate that man." Ciel muttered. The halfbreed blinked.

"You had trouble making him laugh?"

"Not at all…it just took longer than expected." He responded. She nodded. It was the same thing but whatever.

"He's a nightmare to amuse."

"It is a good thing then that he is so ticklish." Sebastian remarked dryly with the smallest of grins directed at her. Ciel nodded obliviously with a grunt of agreement. Ivy stared at the both of them at this new piece of information just shared with her…before shaking her head to clear it.

"Wait…all this time he was just tickling and you knew that…" She looked at Sebastian. "Yet you allowed me that other time to…" Oh the rage. It could be tasted in the air. "YOU COULD HAVE JUST TICKLED HIM ALL ALONG THE LAST TIME TOO? YOU ASSHOLE! DAMN YOU!" The young Earl massaged his temple as his maid proceeded to unsuccessfully attack his butler who was beaming as he thwarted her persistant attempts on his person. _Beaming_ I tell you. This was going to be a very long ride.

"Damn me, Miss Ivy?" He commented. "You are rather late I believe."

"SHUT UP!"

"Sebastian Michaelis and Ivy Ashcroft!" He snapped. "Enough foolishness! Sebasitan I order you to stop terrorizing Ivy this instant! I can't think like this!" They both immediately settled down. "Really, the two of you. Am I to be your governess? Keep all limbs, sharp or blunt objects, and any other manner of potentially dangerous things to yourselves. I hope I've made myself clear." Ivy just nodded and fiddled with her fingers in her lap.

"I understand."

"Of course, young master." There was a long moment of silence before Ivy knocked Sebastian's head against the window with a quick, unexpected push to the side of his face. The butler gave her a dark look in response.

"There now I'm satisfied." She folded her arms and turned her back on him to face her own window. Ciel gave a groan of discontent. "Are pets even allowed at a circus?" She rose an eyebrow. This girl was irritating. He glared at her and she looked surprised. "What? It is a valid question, Ciel- no excuse me- 'Earl Phantomhive'!" She was sassing him, using that mock dramatic tone for his formal name. This was going to be an even longer drive than he expected.

….

"Is this it?" The entrance of the Noah's Ark Circus had two tall poles secured by a checkered enclosure, that held up a beautifully carved sign with said name painted in bright colors on it to attract as much attention as possible. Two lanterns hung on either side of it, along with a small chandelier down the center, and several other hanging decorations. An abundance of scents and presences overwhelmed Ivy's senses. She had pointedly decided to ignore Sebastian's fingers stroking her fur absently as he snuggled her into his jacket. He was pleased to be allowed to have a cat of his own even if it was only temporary.

They passed under the sign, now walking among small tents that had been set up by vendors selling all sorts of treats and refreshments. Colorful balloons were being handed to children by men and woman, equally colorful in costume and with painted faces. If Ivy had been in her usual form she would have squealed and pranced over to get a few of her own. All sorts of the sounds of life surrounded them. Children screaming and laughing, scolding parents, a crying baby, friendly chattering, faint whistling, she picked it all up. Ciel wasted no time, as they immediately headed toward the enormous main tent where the main event was certainly taking place.

"By all appearances, there doesn't seem to be anything unusual but…" He trailed suspiciously as he and his butler took a seat. If her majesty was concerned he could not allow himself to wave the circus off until he had taken a thorough look at the people. Ivy squirmed a bit to get a better look at their surroundings. Restless creature. The ring was exceedingly spacious with an enclosure that sported a pattern of vertical lines and above them dangled three large chandeliers that matched the one at the entrance. A fairly decent crowd sat around the ring excitedly. Nothing appeared suspicious in the slightest.

A male youthful voice soon called everybody's attention to the center of the wide circle. "Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages!" The young man that appeared to be the ring master was tall with sharp features and a small bit of a snaggle tooth but still not at all unpleasant to look at. His bright hair, pierced ears, and painted face all added to his impish appeal. All white with heavy eyeliner and what appeared to be a combination of a scar and a black tear drop coming down from his left eye. Most prominent however was that he was missing an arm, and in its place was a very skeletal looking false one. "Welcome to the Noah's Ark Circus!" People applauded.

"My name is Joker." Taking a bow whilst placing one pointed shoe behind the other, he moved aside his flowing jacket further showing off his flamboyant, brightly colored attire as he juggled an indiscriminate amount of balls. A diamond pattern vest with two rows of large buttons, a big satin bow at his neck, and loose pants that tightened at the bottom due to knee high white spats. "If you look over here- whoops!-" The crowd laughed as he 'accidentally' dropped all of them on his head. "Ahem. The whole circus is jostling for a chance to give you a fun show!" Behind him all the members of his troupe appeared, all clad in equally eccentric circus attire. A striking bunch.

So it began. "Here we go! With one shot from the fire breathing man…the show of the century begins~!" There was a bright burst of flame as the gigantic man standing behind this 'Joker' held a torch before his mouth and blew, inducing awed gasps from the audience. He was even taller than Agni and had tattoos decorating his bald head. Ciel watched impassively.

"This inactivity is beginning to feel like a waste of time." The boy remarked as the flying blanco act began. Two children that were referred to as Peter and Wendy it seemed. They were such terrific acrobats that it was unreal, almost as though they were truly in sync. After their act finished, it was not a moment too soon before another fairly young man took the spot light winking at the crowd as he weilded handfuls of knives. A streak of black could be seen against the rest of his light hair, and his nails were painted black and white.

"He never misses his mark!" The 'Joker' man announced. "The bull's-eye knife thrower!" At this point the crowd was very into the performance and they cheered enthusiastically.

"No music or anything particularly special…" Ciel observed out loud without turning to look at his servants. Sebastian was doing fairly the same thing.

"Indeed." He responded with an equally focused expression. There was a moment of silence between them as a particular trick elicited a chorus of 'Ahhh's from the audience. "There is no sign of the rumored, kidnapped children either." His fingers strumming thoughtfully over Ivy's fluffy ears.

"Ivy…" The little Earl of Phantomhive trailed in a hushed tone, and her ears perked up at being addressed by the boy who was still currently sore at her. "Nobody pays attention to stray cats…I want you to take a look around the tent for anything suspicious and then do the same for the performers' tents and report back to me." He declared in a whisper. The last thing he needed was to be seen conversing with a cat. As for Ivy, she was simply happy to be given a task. Sebastian carefully released her, and nobody noticed as she slunk down his leg and scurried off, making her way around chairs and using her speed to remain unseen for the most part.

"..-And next is…The princess of our circus, and her death defying tight-rope walk!" With that, a girl covered in pink and white frills, a big flowery head-dress that covered her right eye, and two mismatched thigh high stockings appeared upon the tightrope plank with a dainty parasol in one hand. She could not have been older than fifteen or sixteen. Boy and demon continued to converse.

Ciel was frowning. "If they do not intend to make a show of the children…perhaps the circus's movements and the location of the disappearances are merely coincidences?" It seemed so far fetched…there had been far too many 'coincidences' to assume something was not going on. Joker's voice piped up again as the girl's act ended.

"…-And next is a rare snake/human halfbreed. Our snake man's dance!" Now this man was certainly something to look at. How freakish. His chin length spiked hair was all white and he was covered with reptilian scales…he was also rather skinny…and had what seemed like over ten snakes slithering over and around him. It was difficult not to notice him. The end of the dance was signaled by the loud cracking of a whip that startled the spectators.

Ivy jerked at the violent loud noise from where she was…but continued onward. "Alright…and finally…the star of our show, our wild animal tamer!" A woman with a whip. Very tall, very curvaceous, with _**very **_big breasts. Who the hell could handle a set like those? Her main color palate consisted of black…black leather and fishnets with a touch of lace to be more precise. They called her 'Beast'. She looked like every masochist's fantasy really. With black hair curled in tight ringlets and large eyes. "For this act, we'd like a volunteer." The ring leader announced as a large majestic looking tiger was released from it's cage. "Ah! That really distinguished looking gent in the tailcoat! Come on down!"

For a moment she peered back to memorize where she could find Ciel…when she caught sight of Sebastian standing up, she let out a weary huff of breath. "Oh for the love of God, Sebastian." She muttered to herself. Why was she not surprised? Feeling a huge wave of pity wash over her for what that poor tiger was about to experience, she rolled her eyes. Ciel was probably having a panic attack. She didn't see anything odd thus far around here.

It seemed that Ciel was in accord with Sebastian's volunteering…perhaps the demon was actually just onto something. The 'Joker'…ring leader…person smiled at the tall figure in black who stood before him. "Now sir, could you lie down over here?-Ah!" The entertainer had clearly meant to get on with the routine and blinked in surprise when the tall dark volunteer breezed past him, making a bee line for their tiger. Ivy took it back. Onto something her ass. She would never give that idiotic, ninth circle, soul munching…._fartknocker_ the benefit of the doubt again. He crouched in front of the big cat with the most affectionate smile she'd ever seen on him…it was hands down the most creepy and horrifying expression she'd ever seen him make. Whoever taught him that face deserved to have their own chewed off by rabid beasts of hell, and tap-danced on by a fat transvestite in four inch heels.

"Ah…such round eyes." He crooned, caressing both sides of her face. 'Really Sebastian? _Really?' _She thought to herself. Now Ciel not only looked livid…but in a tremor like never before. "I've never seen such soft, vividly striped ears…how lovely." As he rubbed the tiger's ears, the beast seemed content enough…but Ivy could not help the series of 'ews' that streamed through her brain. "What's this? It seems your claws have grown a bit too long…tsk…to not have been groomed. Your paw pads too, are plump and exceedingly charming." Everybody was staring in complete paralyzing shock, then everybody gave a cry of horror as the tigress pounce chomping on her 'admirer's' head. Ivy knew it wouldn't hurt him but it still managed to shock a start into her briefly. She was grateful for all of the noisiness otherwise her soft squeak would have been heard.

"BETTY!" The leather clad trainer shouted in alarm, swinging her whip. "LET HIM GO!" There was a loud 'snap!' that startled the woman as Sebastian's perfect reflexes reached out and caught the whip before the cat could receive her punishment, catching the whip in a tight, gloved fist.

"She did nothing wrong." He said calmly. They seemed even more puzzled. He was…okay? The tiger released him. "In the face of such loveliness, I was unintentionally rude. Moreover…" He spoke with a voice like silk as he seductively touched the whip to his lips. "If you simply recklessly swing the whip, you will never be able to train her." Beast blushed with an outraged expression. It looked very familiar to Ivy, he was teasing her…perhaps even flirting…and something inside of her was unsettled by it. So what? It would explain a lot if _that _sort of woman interested him. Why should such taste offend her? She looked like somebody sliced a watermelon in half and pasted both sides onto her chest. It should have felt good to know that she was not the only one treated in such a fashion. Still…she felt rather vindicated as 'Betty' launched an attack on him once again. Smirk.

"My, my, what a tom-boy." Sebastian gushed even as she tried to forcefully remove his head…that looked very familiar too…and very disturbing. Nevermind…the good feeling was gone. She didn't have much time so she squeezed out from under the tent zooming in the direction of the members' tents. She stopped and looked around, though she could tell there were no children being held hostage here -not so much as a tingle did she sense- she had little time to further investigate as there was a nasty hiss behind her. All she really had time to think before she was running away from a hoarde of snakes was, what the hell was a bloody green mamba doing in the middle of England?

….

Ciel was pissed off once again…it seemed he was doomed to perpetually be so. "_Who said you could go so far?_" He snapped waspishly. Sebastian was still glowing from his feline encounter.

"My apologies. I've lived for such a long time, but it is only cats whose fickle emotions I can not read." He spoke with a hand on his chest and a blush on his cheeks. Ciel fumed as he walked in front of him.

"What were you thinking! Being so excessively conspicuous! Yo- AAACHOOO!" His own sneeze interrupted him. "I have had enough cat dander to last me a lifetime! WALK FURTHER BACK!" He commanded with all the demanding of a put out pre-teen. Sebastian obeyed with a slight bow.

"There you are! Wait a moment!" A voice called to them…familiar yet…foreign. Who was…? "You in the tailcoat!" Sebastian turned to see the apparent ring master rushing to catch up to him. The young man stopped in front of him with a huff giving an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry for earlier." He shook his head in embarrassment. He had not noticed Ciel and so the boy hid.

"No. Please accept my apologies instead." The butler spoke with practiced social finesse.

"I was caught off guard when you just up and got so close to the tiger. You okay from that bite?" He inquired with concern. Well he certainly didn't seem like a kidnapper. "We've got a special private doctor here, and I was thinkin' that he should check you out. Just in case ya know? C'mon round to the back." He proposed good naturedly. The demon's eyes surveyed the area to where his master hid himself…the boy was watching stealthily and gave him a nod of approval. He smirked.

"In that case I will."

* * *

Author's Note: Not much Ivy and Sebby interaction here. I was hoping for more of that. Oh well these things happen. I finally finished it . Hopefully you guys enjoyed it…I'm not entirely sure that I'm going to do it over or not…if you guys like it enough I'll leave it be. This was a nightmare but Stevie Wonder and Phil Collins actually helped out…who knew? I will now lie down and nurse my cold. I hate being sick and I'm tired of thinking. So Ciao guys. Be nice to the invalid and review x3.


	26. That Maid, Accommodations

Author's Note: Circus Arc! WOOT WOOT! I am so happy to be finally getting back to this you have no idea. So anyway no recaps necessary. If you don't remember what was happening you can always check out the end of the previous chappie cause I'm too anxious to get to typing a storm x3. I can't wait to get to the murder mystery arc…they have so many Sherlock Holmes references in it and I absolutely LOVE Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Huge nerd. Anyway I am sorry for taking forever to get this out but you know how life is sometimes. I forgot to say how insanely happy I was for all of the reviews I received for chapter 26. XD.

Disclaimer: I am giving this disclaimer while tied to a chair in shinigami head quarters. *long frustrated sigh* Okay…really guys? The fact that we are still dealing with this is just madness. How many disclaimers have I written confirming that I do not own anything in the Kuroshitsuji universe. Do you really think you guys would scare me so frickin much if I did! Okay okay! I do not own kuroshitsuji just get that roach away from me! Its not necessary to keep me prisoner here until I finish my story! SEBBY! I'M HERE! COME GET ME- MMPH! *is gagged again*

**Chapter Twenty Seven: That Maid Accommodations**

It was getting late and the lighting was dim as Joker led Sebastian around the back of the tents in search of the circus medic. Lanterns hung from each tent, lighting the way with their orange glow. Several minor members watched them wordlessly from where they sat, or stood leaning casually against piles of wooden crates, or tent poles. The young apparent ring leader casually clutched a cane in one hand, walking a few paces ahead of the butler. The brief glow of a lion's eyes shined from behind one of the cage bars as the two men walked by. "Righty." He spoke up breezily. "This way." With a motion of his cane he pointed down a general direction. Sebastian tuned him out, taking it upon himself to examine his surrounding with his always calculating eyes.

"Sorry its so dirty." The apology fell on disinterested ears. Dark eyes watched the large bald giant that seemed to be staring him down out of his peripheral vision. The same man who played the part of the 'fire eater'. "Watch yer step." He warned politely. Cages of all sorts were set up, some with large cats, other with smaller animals like parrots. So much for the chance of no pets allowed. He paused to look at the lion again for a second, when 'Joker' spoke up once again.

"Oh!" It seemed however that he was not addressing Sebastian. "Snake!" He greeted his hybrid compatriot from that afternoon's show. The reptilian man silently sat atop a crate with his legs half crossed, leaning back on his arms. He was fully dressed now in a high collared thick vertical striped shirt that was open down to just above his naval, form fitting slacks, and leather, intricately laced boots that reached all the way up to nearly mid thigh. "Doc is still in the first aid tent, right?" Yellow snake eyes narrowed at the tall man in the tail coat suspiciously before without a word one of the two snakes slithering over him -the python around his neck- pointed in the direction to where the doctor's 'office' of sorts was. It seemed to be answer enough for the unspoken leader apparently.

"Oops." The red haired clown turned back to face Sebastian apologetically, scratching the back of his head. "He's on business, huh." Without so much as a thank you, Joker motioned for the stranger to follow him once again. Sebastian really could not see anything suspicious going on here but he hadn't had the time to properly have a look on the other hand.

"Huh, isn't that the guy who got bitten by the tiger?" A small…yet strangely mature voice piped up. The demon turned his head to see the two acrobats that everybody had assumed were children by the look and size of them. 'Peter' and 'Wendy' as he recalled. They snickered at him from their perches atop a single barrel that they shared. A boy and a girl. Or shoulder he say…a man and a woman. These were not children it seemed. They were both covered in ribbons, stockings, and ruffles. Small painted faces that shined with mischeif greeted his eyes. Her with a crown head-dress and he with a feathered hat. Like two porcelain dolls sitting on an abandoned shelf.

"It really is." Peter responded with a scoff. "That idiot."

Suddenly, there was the abrupt high pitched sound of a distressed feline and the jingling of a little bell. As a furry little ball busted from beneath a tent and blurred past and under all random witnesses. Behind it was a trail of venomous snakes as it headed straight for Joker and Sebastian. "Wha- Snake!" Joker stopped himself from stepping on the little animal that was apparently a kitten. The little one climbed up and around Sebastian with great speed to rest on his shoulder just as the butler stepped on the mamba's neck to restrain it, but not enough to kill it. Joker whistled, impressed by his 'guest's' speed.

The demon butler internally sighed with a shake of his head as a little ball of fur was squeezed into the crook of his neck. Really a snake was nothing that this girl could not handle. He would have to help her prioritize that nerve of hers. She could shoot a demon in the backside but couldn't incapacitate a few snakes? Still…the two furry little paws clinging to his head and fluffy tail swishing against his face made it impossible to really ponder it completely. How adorable. "There you are." He beamed as sparkles practically floated around his head. Ah, and look she was even wearing the bell ribbon. Good. She had made sure to look like a manor pet. He plucked her from his shoulder and snuggled her under his chin. "I thought I had lost her." He explained with a chuckle.

The green mamba hissed and wriggled under his well-polished black shoe. "Snake!" Joker called. "I'm really sorry. They get kinda hungry and enjoy live prey so its hard for snake to always keep track of them." The young man explained. On cue, said person hurried over to see what the commotion was all about. Joker sighed and turned to him. "We've had a bit of a problem here with your friends and this fellow's cat. Its fine now but please take them." He requested. Snake nodded apologetically.

"Oh, she's so cute!" One of the ladies cooed a bit too loudly making Ivy wince slightly at the attention and shrink. "Aww. Is she shy?" She asked Sebastian.

"She is quite sweet…though prone to scratching." He remarked simply, smiling brilliantly as he stroked her fur. The random circus woman was looking at him with starry eyes and clasped hands. Blushing. Here it goes again. Ivy resisted the urge to hiss at him and simply wriggled in discontent. Joker cleared his throat awkwardly as Snake led away his….'compatriots'.

"Right. Well um… right this way, mister." He motioned for him to continue following. It seemed that Ivy was not the only one who found his obsession with cats to be more a little bit unsettling. Were men the only ones with any sense when it came to Sebastian? They continued to walk and Ivy clung closely to him due to his exceptional body heat and the cold winter night air. "Ah. There he is." Their 'guide' spoke up breaking the silence. "Doc!" He called to a dark curly haired man who was crouched in a wheel chair over a familiar knife thrower's apparently also false leg.

He wore a small pair of perfectly round spectacles, and sported a cleanly shaven goatee. His long lab coat was strangely clean and white for somebody who spent most of their time outside…but that should have been normal for a doctor. Preventing infection was imperative. "Hm?" He responded looking away from his work and over his shoulder at the two men. Ivy noted with puzzlement that he smelled strangely coppery…but nobody here had been injured badly enough for blood to be involved. That was a curious thing. Immediately the medic lit up in recognition of one of his friends. "Hello Joker!" He greeted, wheeling his chair around expertly to face him. "Is there something wrong with your arm again?"

"No, today its nothing t'do with me…" He assured and was quickly cut off by the colorful marksman.

"Ah! I was wondering who that was... But isn't that the man who's head was bitten by Betty?" The knife thrower was pointing at Sebastian with concern in his eyes. This seemed to catch the doctor off guard and throw him for a whirl. Joker just laughed kind of awkwardly as Sebastian was immediately fussed over. Ivy zipped over to hold onto the back of his shoulder cautiously.

"BY BETTY?" He shouted tugging on the tall black clad man's arm to have a look as he ranted. "That's terrible! We have to get you to the medical office quickly!" He declared without even looking at the butler. Ivy blinked and thought to herself how lucky Sebastian was that he lived surrounded by so many slow people. It was difficult to miss his clearly supernatural traits. She loved the Phantomhive servants…but they were kind of soft headed to have not once questioned those certain moments when Sebastian did something freakish or used words a certain way. It seemed that these people were not that different in that aspect.

Well to say that Doc was puzzled when he finally took a look at Sebastian would have been a severe understatement of the worst kind. There was a long pause. "….Were you _really_ bitten by a tiger?" This was so incredibly awkward. "I can't find any marks on you at all." The experienced medic gave a sweat drop. The demon had not even missed a beat as he was still shimmering gleefully at the memory.

"It was merely a play-bite." He assured making Joker and the one who was apparently known as 'Dagger' sweat drop in confusion recalling the scene. Doc released a sigh of both relief that the patient was perfectly fine, and slight annoyance that his work had been unnecessarily impeded.

"Well, if it's not serious then we don't have to head over there." He concluded placing a hand over his face wearily.

Joke approached with a relieved sigh of his own. "Its really great yer okay." He said. "If I'd let a customer get hurt, the ring leader'd have my hide." Well that was an interesting development. Sebastian perked and looked at him.

"You are not the ring leader?" He interrogated.

"Nah, I'm a bit more like a hired shop-manager, the ring leader is a different and scary guy." He laughed good naturedly, draping his false arm over 'Dagger's' shoulder casually. They both snickered slightly.

"You say that kinda thing and he'll be mad later, boss." He warned Joker maintaining his grin and folding his arms. It was pretty plain to see that the members of this circus had quite the history together already. A feminine voice then interrupted the discussion.

"Doctor." The tent flap was lifted and Beast emerged. "I was wondering if you could take a look at my leg…?" She trailed off with shocked eyes. Dagger was elated to see her apparently. Probably like most of the men Beast encountered which was why she paid him no heed and her face simply contorted angrily as she stared dead at Sebastian. "YOU!" She snarled.

"BIG SIS!" Dagger leapt up in an attempt to greet her. Proverbial hearts galore. Big sis he said? Um…sister complex much? "That I would be experiencing trouble in the same place as you! Ahhh…in this too we are connected by the red string of fa-…eh?" She stormed right past him, not paying any attention to him nor to his affectionate rambling. Fuming, she pointed a finger at Sebastian who raised an eyebrow indifferently.

"You are that mad man from before! What are you doing here!" She demanded sternly. Clearly she had not appreciated being made to look like a fool earlier. "**Thanks to you the show was-!**" She went silent as the doctor snapped at her.

"BEAST!" He scolded. Ivy felt that she could sympathize with her. All she had been doing was her job and then came along Sebastian to cause all kinds of chaos AND make her look like a total incompetent at what she did for a living. It was so difficult for a woman in society to be seen as anything but a woman. Especially when you were a beautiful one. "What are you saying to our guest! If you were not able to control Betty was that not your own carelessness?" A lecture. Beast was affronted.

"BUT HE CARELESSLY-!"

"NO BUTS! YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL ARE YOU NOT?" He countered pointing a finger back at her. The demon simply sat stoically between them like they were not even there. Without a decent come back Beast relented with a defeated huff, folding her arms and proceeding to sulk miserably. Her two sympathetic friends interrupted.

"Now, now, Doc. There is no need to yell in front of a customer." Joker stated.

"That's right." Dagger added in. "Instead please just take a look at her leg." Doc leaned back in his wheel chair wearily.

He sighed. "After this…Beast has to discipline Betty again." A bitter expression appeared on the woman's face.

"…Fine." It was clear that she still considered it all Sebastian's fault. Which technically it was.

"Right. Then let me look at that prosthetic." He motioned for her to have a seat. She did so on one of the examination tables of sorts. Sebastian was curious.

"Prosthetic?" He inquired. Joker decided to put in his two cents now, stepping forward as the butler got back to his feet.

"There is a bit of a reason for this circus." He explained. "Folks with some sort of problem all gather together here. I'm a'missin an arm too, but thanks to Doc I've got this." The painted clown smiled showing off his skeletal left arm. "Pretty cool, huh?" It was strange how he could make it wiggle its fingers. They looked rather stiffened and crooked now. The doctor was annoyed at the spectacle. He fumed and piped in.

"Its because you over use and show off that arm so much that it goes bad so quickly!" The youth was reprimanded. "It makes me want to readjust your whole body too!" Sebastian turned his interest to the busy medic Ivy paced from shoulder to shoulder when convenient. Joker seemed pretty impressed by the sight.

"Say. It's pretty cool that your cat just stays on your shoulders like that. They are usually either too stubborn or just too stupid to do tricks like that." He remarked. The neko was offended by the statement and clearly Sebastian didn't like the jab to his favorite animal. Cats were not stupid by any means. They understood what humans wanted them to do most of the time, they just almost always chose not to do it due to their independent and individualistic personas. He did not dignify the remark with a response. He turned his interest toward the busy medic.

"You are the one who made the prosthetics for the circus?" He asked. The answer was obvious but it never hurt to confirm a truth.

"Yep. That's right." Doc nodded, adjusting his glasses as he worked on Beast's knee intently. "Its hard work. Especially since I have to do everything myself from the hand carving onwards." It was rare to find a doctor that was so dedicated to making his prosthetic limbs so life like. The demon took a closer look while Ivy, as soon as she felt secure enough, settled down almost like a scarf.

"Carving? Do you mean to say they are wooden?"

"No. Ceramic."

"Ceramic?" Red eyes narrowed at the statement…this looked rather different from the ceramic that he was accustomed to seeing humans produce. Doc sat up with a contemplative expression as if thinking over his words.

"Well…I call them ceramic because it is very similar. However they are made out of special materials that allow them to be light yet more durable than simple ceramic." He showed off his patient's leg. Sebastian touched it along the shin, scrutinizing it.

"I see." He spoke. "It also feels good to the touch." He complimented.

"Right?" The doctor was pleased to hear such praise. "So that they move smoothly, I use ball jointed doll parts." He added with all the pride of a craftsman.

"This is truly finely made." Sebastian admitted, still touching it. His eye caught sight of something just at the inner thigh. A hall mark. His hand slid under Beast's knee as he crouched and lifted her leg up higher to get a better look at it. He effectively startled everybody in the room with his shamelessness. Ivy's eyes popped. His head was- w..what in the blazes! What the bloody hell did he think he was doing? "This hallmark is…?" Beast turned beet red in shock obviously livid and embarrased, Joker did know what to make of it, and Dagger was plain outraged. The neko leapt from his shoulder furiously just in time to escape the busty woman's delayed reaction.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU PERVERT!" She shrieked, swinging her leg violently in what looked like an attempt to knock off his head in a single blow. The volume of her voice booming as Sebastian dodged with a swift back bend.

"Aah…That was rude of me." He smirked at her impishly. Ivy felt like throwing a table at him. What a pig. "I've never seen someone who looks so shameless in appearance react so modestly before so…" He trailed as if using the most common of sense. In other words 'its your fault for dressing like that'. A certain half breed found the statement to be extremely disappointing. She really hoped that he was TRYING to sound like a complete misogynistic boar. If he did however, that meant he liked to see Beast pissed off…but… why? She frowned to herself…and the found herself wondering why it even mattered. No. It didn't. She scoffed and hopped onto one of the tables, proceeding to groom herself.

Whipping out her whip the voluptuous woman lashed out furiously at him. "_YOU BASTARD!" _It swung at him and he easily tilted away from its path with a grin on his face. The doctor was in a panic now looking at Dagger and Joker before looking back at them.

"Hey! HEY! Beast, stop it! You are attacking a customer!" He reasoned fruitlessly. "You guys!" The older man appealed to Joker and Dagger. "Help me stop the-..eh?" Dagger was trembling, eyes hidden behind his bangs. Then he exploded.

"YOOUUU!" He snarled now at Sebastian. "TOUCHING MY BIG SIS'S SILKY, TRANSLUCENT SKIN…EVEN…EVEN THOUGH I'VE NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO TOUCH IT!" An entire wall of daggers flew at the butler. He simply leapt and flipped over them as if not making any sort of effort.

"Technically I was not actually touching her skin." He drawled. Ah Sebastian Michaelis…king of provocation. He landed on a near by clothes line. "Somehow it seems as thought I might as well have." It went on like this for quite a while. Both Beast and Dagger trying to murder their 'customer' while the doctor panicked and Joker stared at them awkwardly. Ivy wished that she did not have to pretend to be a cat. Otherwise she would have been able to attack him too. The show off.

Finally as Beast charged him with another swipe of her whip Joker stepped in, catching the leather strap around his cane. Beast's eyes popped and they stared each other down momentarily when suddenly flowers popped out of his cane with confetti. "For you." He gave her a brilliant smile. She blinked. "Okay, okay. That's enough." He announced placatingly to the two angry performers. The doctor yelled at him for not stopping them sooner. The Phantomhive butler leapt back to the ground wordlessly.

"But he-…" Beast protested. Joker had none of it.

"Now, now." He coaxed, pulling her into him from behind making her blush. "This pretty leg." His real fingers ran over the ceramic thigh deliberately. She looked conflicted. "It's not like I can't understand wanting to touch it. Here, use these flowers to cheer up." Silently she took the flowers, blushing…yet with a tone of something profound, angry, and sad all at once in her now downcast expression. Sebastian busied himself by returning Dagger's knives to him.

"Anyway." Joker looked at him. "You've got some great reflexes. Hmm…I'd kinda like to scout you." He barely finished the sentence before Sebastian was abruptly in his face with a dark expression.

"Really?"

Joker blinked with a sweat drop and a level of shock on his face. What the hell? Eh? This guy was really something strange wasn't he? The man in black sighed. "The truth of the matter is that my current master is spoiled and rather shocking." He informed.

"Master…are you a servant at some kind of manor?" Joker tiled his head. "With your nice appearance and clothes…I thought you were a gentleman but..." Ivy almost burst out laughing at somebody using 'gentleman' and Sebastian in the same sentence. He was by no means a gentleman if you really knew his dreadful demeanor. Sebastian placed a hand over his chest with a smile.

"Me? A gentleman? How absurd. I am a butler to the core." Oh God no. Not another catch phrase. "You were saying that you would like to scout me a moment ago, is that true? If it is, then I would certainly like to accept but…" Joker broke in with a sweat drop.

"Wait. Are you serious?"

"Aren't I always serious?" '_No.' _Ivy wanted to snap at the question that was clearly meant to be rhetorical. He wasn't even 'not serious' in a normal funny way but that was not the point here. There was a moment of silence between the two men.

"…Pfft…Yer pretty funny! I like you!" The 'assitant ring leader' told him, slapping him on the shoulder. "So, since its okay with you then I don't mind if you come back at any time." He grinned jovially.

"Hold on a minute Joker!" Beast was suddenly displeased. "What are you doing, deciding on this so quickly?" She protested with flames in her eyes. Somebody did not want Sebastian around.

"Come on. He's got outstanding talent." He simply responded in defense.

"Um…The truth is, there is someone else I would like to introduce you to." The loyal -traitorous and sadistic- butler stated as he caught sight of Ivy and managed to grasp her without even looking in her direction.

"If you've got somebody else like you that's fine…but we've got an entrance test." Joker warned.

"I understand. I will bring them here tomorrow. Thank you for today's hospitality." He bowed. Ivy gave a soft cat growl in his ear and he smirked. He gathered his black jacket under his other arm. "You needn't see me off." He told them exiting the tent and leaving the troup in silence.

"Well then…" The demon trailed as he continued to cradle Ivy under his arm, now wearing his jacket again.

"You sir, are a jack ass." She growled softly.

"Mind your language, Miss Ivy." He teased. "We must be professional on the job mustn't we?" If only she could grab his bottom lip and pull it over his head.

"Mmm. Professional? Does that include violating your potential sources of information? Is that part of your 'profession' you twisted son of a bitch?" She asked with mock sincerity. He clamped his hand over her mouth to keep it shut, raising an eyebrow at her.

"On occasion." The butler was having a grand time here wasn't he? He smirked. "Now please stop making noise. You mustn't talk to much, somebody might hear you." He warned her. Damn him. Just wait until they were in the clear. She would think of something damn it. It seemed that he was in deep thought as he soundlessly walked through the encampment. He was probably thinking around the same lines she had been.

A loud hiss broke the dark silence. "Entrance past this point is forbidden." He had not heard that voice before, but it was obvious who spoke due to the sound of hissing and slithering of his reptilian companions. "…is what Wild just said." He was translating what the snakes were saying? Or was it for show? Sebastian eyed him from over his shoulder. "The exit is that way, says Goethe." The expression on the demon's face fell into his usual 'I'm-normal-please-let-your-guard-down-puny-humans ' smile.

"Thank you for your assistance." He nodded.

"Goodbye…says Goethe." Well that was not the most awkward conversation ever right?

….

Ivy was still upset once they reached Ciel's townhouse. Even now that she was by herself sitting with some hot chai tea that Agni gave her, she could not seem to stop sulking. Ciel had stormed right to bed after snapping at Soma when he insisted that the boy teach him cards. The boy had pointed been ignoring him, neither did we bother explaining my presence to them. He and Sebastian were arguing over the issue of having him join the circus. Needless to say it sounded just as appealing to him as having to play leap frog with unicorns.

As for her? She had not felt the need to make conversation ever since she arrived. Sebastian had pestered her about her sudden demeanor and she nearly had a conniption getting him to leave her the hell alone.

_**Flashback:**_

"What is it?"

"...What?"

"Something is bothering you."

"No."

"You are lying."

"I am not."

"You are…and doing a dreadful job of it might I add."

"I'm not angry."

"I never said you were angry. That is as good as a confession."

"Leave me alone."

"Never." He grinned. Then she'd snapped.

"CIEL MAKE HIM STOP RIDING ME!"

"Sebastian please stop making her shout." The boy massaged his temples with a growl. "As long as her demeanor does not affect my goal. It does not matter." That had been a close one.

_**End Flashback**_

Agni, noticing her mood gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and had handed her the chai tea that she currently sipped. Green eyes now stared at the fire place, the flickering and dancing of flames always had a calming effect on the neko.

"Are you well?"

"Eek!" She held her chest. "Agni…" Her voice trailed. It had not been his fault that she had allowed herself to be so distracted, but still…it felt like he had intruded on something very private. Even if there was nothing very intimate about sitting in front of a fire place really. He watched her as if trying to asses her distress. "I'm fine." Was all that she told him.

"Is there something bothering you-?"

"No! What is it with you people?" She snapped, cutting him off. He blinked at her reaction, concerned. She sighed at his expression. "I am so sorry, Agni. I promise I am okay." There was no way that she wanted to talk about this to someone. It was too weird and she thought that perhaps it had something to do with what she was. Ere go he could not possibly understand. The tall Indian was too perceptive for his own good.

"Are you sure?" He tentatively prodded, sitting just opposite of her. She felt her pupils pull into cat slits slightly when he blocked her view of the fireplace but she let it pass. It was too dark for him to see it anyway. "…Because you know Miss Ivy can tell me anything, right?" He gave a brilliant smile and she wished that she really could confide in him.

"Its nothing. Don't ask. I would rather not mention anything that you should not know." She shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she leaned back in her seat. "Besides the whole thing would make the atmosphere all…weird and awkward. I'll ask a weird question. You'll feel weird and then I'll feel weird." Silence. Even in his townhouse Ciel Phantomhive had a great variety of books. Ivy thanked the universe for having such an intellectual bookworm for a boss and opened a book to distract herself. Agni gave a fond, knowing laugh.

"Well, if I may say my opinion. A 'weird' atmosphere is better than a brooding and dark one. Do you have any 'weird' questions for me?" He asked harmlessly with a hint of humor in his voice, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees. She shook her head behind the book covers. Only her forehead and furrowed eyebrows were visible above the pages.

"Not really." There was a long pause. Agni wisely said nothing. He sat up with a sigh. Well if she truly could not bring herself to talk about it then there was nothing he could do about that. Just as he moved to stand she dropped the book abruptly in her lap and asked one of the strangest questions he'd ever heard. "Have you ever sat an apple beside a watermelon and compared them?" Blink, blink. Sweat drop.

"I-…what?" Agni looked dumbfounded. Ivy slapped a hand over her forehead. Oh God, this was not a 'tell Agni' kind of conversation damn it! Re-word! Re-word you bloody idiot!

"Okay that was stupid. You see I _told _you it would be weird…and now you are making a weird face which makes everything feel even more weird for both of us." She muttered. "I mean-…Imagine being an apple that is always sitting beside other bigger fruit. Or rather one specifically and everybody always pays attention to that wretched watermelon and expects the apple to live up to said melon's high set standard. However the apple can not do that nor does it have any desire to, yet it still bothers the poor apple when other fruit seem- ugh. Let me just ask you this…have you ever compared you to anybody that you felt you did not measure up to?" Now this Agni deemed he could deal with.

"My father." He admitted with a nod. "This would not have anything to do with Sebastian sir does it?" The question was an honest one but it still upset the neko very much.

"Ooooh don't even mention that horrid man's name! I-…I _Do-Not-Know! _Alright?" With a huff she folded her arms and pouted. She would not tell Agni that Sebastian Michaelis flirting with women was making her uncomfortable. Agni would certainly come to ridiculous conclusions. He let out a humming sort of sound.

"Well you have not given me much to work with. I can tell you though that you must live to fulfill your _own_ purposes. You must not look at the talents and brilliance of others to measure your own worth…because we all have our _own_ brilliance. Our _own_ talents and traits that signify our God given calling. Whether my friend Sebastian has anything to do with it or not…." Ivy blinked at him. "I hope Miss Ivy realizes that he certainly does not concern himself with whether or not you are as good as him at anything." Wait, what? Just when she was starting to feel good again. "In fact you do surpass him by means of compassion and understanding -I regret to admit that he can be rather frigid-, and you do not fear his bouts of temper as most do. You have a diplomatic and compelling aura that gives you the power to make even him at least think your opinion worth listening to." She grinned grimly to herself. Actually she was probably more terrified of Sebastian than anybody at the manor was. "Be content. A smile always helps."

Not afraid of him? How absurd. Never the less, it did make her feel better to know that Agni valued her character in comparison to Sebastian. So she would smile, and smile she did. Standing up she walked around the table to stand in front of Agni. Who frowned slightly to himself that even in her small stature she seemed to give the feeling of…control. Like some sort of superior being. It was forgotten with a disarming smile that she flashed and he swore he'd imagined it as she bent over to hug him around the shoulders. "Thank you." She'd murmured.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear…and not one moment too soon. His voice scared the crap out of the half-breed. He looked between the two of them with his usual unreadable gaze. Ivy was bent over Agni's chair with her hands on his shoulders, both of them looking startled. "The young master forgot his favorite pillow here after a nap." Ah, yes. Ciel was still very much a child in certain aspects. With that simple declaration, he found said item and left. A deafening silence in his wake. Agni seemed a bit uncomfortable, but neither noticed the demon's eyes watching them from out of the butler's peripheral scope.

….

Why exactly did Ivy not ask where she would be sleeping that night? She was not certain and she hated herself for that. However she decided that she would just pick out one of the spare rooms it was not a problem. Only thing with that was…where the bloody hell were the ones meant for the servants? Biting her lip she went from one extravagant looking room to another. Finally one looked just right and she soundlessly entered without a second glance, closing the door behind her. Situation: Dealt with. Incidents: None.

"Phew. Lovely." She murmured softly to herself turning around to have the shock of her life. Namely Sebastian walking out of the small wardrobe with his jacket discarded, shirt untucked and unbuttoned half way down with his now open vest still on. He stopped mid-step, noticing her presence with mild surprise, tie still in his hand. The neko made a strangled sound in her throat, turning red at the sight of his mostly bare torso. The first one she'd ever seen up close. His lips just pulled into an arrogant grin at this. "I'm sorry! I just made a mistake is all!" She whirled around to face the other way, heading for the door. He was never going to let her live this down! She was stopped by a hand slamming against said sole escape route from her humiliating doom. The soft squeak she made was unavoidable. Ivy whipped around to face him, back pressed up against the rigid wood uncomfortably…why did he always have such a high body temperature?

Red eyes scrutinized her closely…and then he just smiled. "Its fine. I did need to speak to you after all. This is convenient." Ivy pulled a face, trembling nervously. She moistened her now suddenly parched lips.

"No…really Sebastian. I promise I did no-…err…what are you doing?" Her eyes followed his hands as they proceeded to unbutton the rest of his shirt. God he'd made her look. Damn it! What's worse was that now it was extremely difficult to stop looking down as he spoke to her. What was he even saying? Shut up! SHUT UP AND GET DRESSED!

"Are you listening, little one?" He purred, lifting her chin with his fingers. Green eyes sharpened in frustration. God-damned, conceited..._watermelon. _

"Please, cover yourself." She used her iciest tone of voice, folding her arms defensively. His grin broadened. Oh bloody great. Challenge Accepted. The young lady then gave him a once over and added a stoic. "Now." He took a half step back and ran a hand through his hair casually, flipping the dark fringe that framed his face.

"Make me." His response made Ivy twitch. "This is my room and you were the one who entered without so much as a knock. I'll not disrupt my routine for you, little one. You will make up for it by listening to me now. In the meantime, you are free to enjoy the view if you like." Her mind screamed that he needed to be physically harmed. In the background she could hear a voice that sounded very similar to her mother's telling her to thrust the heel of her hand into his solar plexus. Suuuure….and shatter her wrist on his rock hard chest. 'FUUUUUUUUUUUU-! You know what? No more.' She thought to herself.

"How in the blazes was I supposed to know this was your room? I thought you did not even sleep!" She stomped her foot. He silenced her with fingers to her lips. Wide eyes blinked.

"Just because I do not require it means little. It is an enjoyable luxury to pass the time." To her relief the demon butler easily covered himself up within the blink of an eye. "I was going to wait until the week was over, however I believe it would save time if I informed you now, since you so conveniently stumbled into my path." He declared. Ivy let out a sigh.

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"After this week you will have to perform again, just in case you've forgotten about your role. I am not to allow you to grow lax in the meantime. I will have to keep you sharp once we return. Our limited time could pose as a problem without the proper organization. Thus I've been planning on discussing your lesson plan." Wow. He talked a LOT. Anyway she had no interest. The half neko yawned with an exaggerated stretch of her arms and arch of her back.

"What a coincidence. _I_ was just planning on going to sleep. Goodnight." A clear and precise 'no' with a clever edge. She mentally patted herself on the back. As she turned though, he gripped her arm. A light chuckle. Uncharacteristic and frightening. "What?" She asked evenly, ignoring it.

"First we will have to address this issue about your little habit of being so uncooperative with the young master. Sneaking about with no protection when pursued by demons is unwise at best. I will have to take precautions to ascertain the likelihood of your survival." With this, Ivy became wary. Ciel had clearly said that Sebastian would only spank her if she did it again. So….where exactly was he going with this? Her brow furrowed.

"What are you babbling about? What precautions?" Really she had sounded more apprehensive than she had meant to. Within a split second her mind worked over his words. Survival. Likelihood. Ascertain? A test. How? He was going to do something to 'ascertain' her skills. He said survival. Fighting skills. Holy shit not again! The little neko girl back bent barely dodging a swing of his arm and barrel rolled out of his path. "Of course I can protect myself! You yourself re-sharpened my skills and even innovated my style with some of your own tricks!" She screeched avoiding a kick and swinging her own legs to knock him over. He jumped over them, giving her opportunity to twirl back to her feet.

"Certainly. The question is for how long now?" The butler responded with a smirk as he continued to toy with her reflexes. Simple hand to hand tactics that turned into an entire Bartitsu match which evolved into all sorts of ancient and new techniques until once again acrobatics were involved. Ivy felt like she was trapped in an iron cage fight with the size of the room.

"Cut it out!" She shouted going unheeded. That was it. Her mother's voice rang darkly in her mind once again this time sounding a lot like her own voice. 'Let's. End. This.' She threw a porcelain pitcher up in the air knowing that he would take about a split second to catch it…so she would have to be quick too. Just as she did this and he reached to catch it she whipped out a bottle, that she thought she would never use, and sprayed him in the eyes. He jerked back with a nasty inhuman hiss as steam sizzled through the air. 'Holy shit it worked… HA-HA! Wait…what have I done?' She thought in horror coming back down from her fury as a blur of black knocked the wind out of her, as she was pinned very suddenly to a mattress. "I told you I took precautions!" She protested in defense of herself.

"Might I inquire as to how you came by a supply of holy water?" Sebastian demanded. His face was different somehow now and his eyes were shining…his teeth were suddenly sharp. Ivy swallowed hard now very aware of his body weight. Large hands held her arms in place. When her voice came out it was slightly shaky.

"Looking for work. I came across a church house…they almost always have some of the stuff on hand. I thought it would come in handy so I took some….it doesn't really hurt me so much…it is a bit hot though." The girl explained herself. His expression changed and he was back to normal. For the most part. What had been going through his mind?

"My…how resourceful of you." He lowered his face dangerously close to hers making her scowl. "…and perhaps a bit foolish. The last man to try such a thing on me…ended up dismembered from each of his limbs one by one, starting with 'the smallest' and ending with his head." Ivy shivered but her eyes remained sharp and cold. How she wanted to take him down a few pegs.

"What does that mean in _my _case?" She inquired making him raise an elegant eyebrow at her. With a grin he sat up, demeanor now breezy and crisp. As if he had not just behaved like a feral beast moments ago.

"Very good, little one. I'm satisfied." Adjusting his vest he held a hand out for her. "Come." She pushed his arm away and swung her legs to the other side of the bed. Pointedly standing up on her own. It was alarming to note that she was not in the least bit hurting. He swung his tailcoat back on. "We should speak elsewhere as my room seems to upset you." It was strange how easily he could switch roles.

"Yes please." She sighed scratching the back of her neck. Well she certainly had a bit of whip lash. His behavior seemed to make up for the earlier scare as he opened the door and led her out ahead of him in a very gentlemanly manner. With a frown over her shoulder she commented. "You sir…are a walking migraine inducing enigma." This made him scoff.

"Is that a bad thing really?"

She thought about the question. "Yes and no. The concept in itself is not bad at all…having an enigmatic friend is not particularly dreadful. Sometimes though the trouble does not seem worth it and yet… I have often wondered… if something can be understood easily then is it really worth understanding?"

"No indeed." He responded with an unreadable smirk. As she looked at him she was just really not sure she _wanted _to understand his mind.

* * *

Author's Note: *Has chewed through gag by now* Hey guys! Okay so... Good? Bad? Like? Dislike? I guess I'll soon find out. Once again sorry for taking so long to update and I hope this chapter made up for it in some small measure. Just in case you guys forgot…earlier in the story Ivy did in fact visit a church in chapter nine 'That Maid, NOT a cat!'. That was where she got it. Hope you liked the chapter *fingers crossed* I think I'm gonna be here for a while. JUST WAIT TILL SEBBY FINDS ME! MUAHAHAHAHA! *Grell pulls out ball gag* Aw crap. Please review!


	27. That Maid Integrating

Author's Note: New Chappie. I am thinking about writing an Omake but I'm not sure what about yet exactly. .…Hmmm. Perhaps something for Christmas or Thanksgiving…oooh or Halloween! since the holidays are on their way. I really think they are dragging out this Titanic arc a bit too long in the manga. Really I don't like the idea of dragging out a fight scene for too many chapters so hopefully this three-way (technically four way) battle will end soon and it'll get interesting again. Just so you know…Undertaker's death scythe has got to be the sexiest yet classic scythe ever. Anyway, I have decided to write another chapter right away in order to make up for taking so long to update the last one. So ta-da~! Here it is. Out early. I hope you guys enjoy it and don't think that I have given up. Yay me!

Disclaimer: Grell has been baby sitting me…somebody get me the hell out of here. Once again they are making sure that I remind all of you that I own absolutely nothing of….you know what I mean people! Or you wouldn't be reading this fic would you! I would appreciate it if you informed these guys of that. You don't need to be reminded right? Right. If you can get with me on that train then please try to tell them that. Once I again I do not own kuroshitsuji. Now lets get on with it.

**Chapter Twenty Eight: That Maid Integrating**

_"Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect, and touch, and greet each other." - Rainer Maria Rilke _

"Woah. You brought a really cute kid, huh? Are you a boy?" Ivy just knew that Ciel must have resented constantly being called cute all the time with the sort of profession he had to take on. Never mind the fact that this was the second time -in the brief time frame that she had been acquainted with him- that she had heard his gender questioned. He showed impressive restraint under the circumstances. She herself found it annoying that nobody had any better ways of describing _her_ besides 'pretty' and 'cute'. Joker seemed like the kind of man who unwittingly invited a punch in the mouth.

Ciel simply stood awkwardly among the brood of traveling performers. They stared at him all probably thinking the same thing. How cute! Well…he _was _adorable but that was not the point. "Yes." He responded. "I was a pageboy at the manor…um…my name is Finnian." Joker leaned over him with a very curious expression as if with a level of skepticism. Ciel just leaned the other way with a sweat drop.

"What a fancy name. If you join, we'll give you a stage name…" The stand in ring leader told the boy. "…but cuteness is not enough to join the circus, if you can't perform that is. So. Boy, what is your strong point?" Man poor Ciel was having quite a hard time being in the spotlight….while Sebastian remained in the background surrounded by a throng of girls. Who wouldn't just _go-the-hell-away_.

Ivy remained where she was on his arm but really wished that she did not have to be there to watch him charm the knickers off of them without even having to try. What a boar. They continued to make small talk with him and really Ivy was slowly losing all hope of respect for them with every passing second. They were giggling over his regal, elegant, polite demeanor, and upper-class finesse. Stupid girls did not know what they were wishing for. Ivy internally shook her head at them.

"…Darts?" Ciel answered the question almost nervously.

"Well then! In that case, let's do knife throwing." Joker smiled reassuringly. "Dagger! Lend him a knife." He called his co-worker over. The young man cheerfully jogged over with one of his precious little blades in hand.

"Here ya go~!" He said in a sing-song kind of tone. Ciel held out his hand, still sweat dropping nervously, and Dagger dropped it into his palm. In the mean time his target was prepared. Joker stood with a big, jolly smile. Pointing to the target he gave his instructions.

"Hit that target from over here." It was a large wooden board with a very square image of a dummy on it. There was a heart drawn where the heart would have been. It was quite a distance away and it was doubtful that Ciel had the upper body strength to make that kind of distance with a dagger. Dagger, being an expert at this event, obviously noted it with a wry smile as he leaned on Joker's shoulder and murmured something. Said man scoffing and replying with a remark of his own. Still…Ciel steeled himself impressively with a poker face only the Queen's Watchdog could have been capable of. Ivy crawled higher, up Sebastian's bicep and onto his shoulder as he stepped forward for a better look. Ciel took aim, and with all his might…the small but deadly weapon was launched.

….

For a moment, to the members of the Noah's Ark Circus, it seemed as though his shot would not make it. Down the knife began to spiral, and Dagger gave a not so surprised half smile. "Aaaah…yep." He nodded. It seemed that, that would have been that…until suddenly said knife jerked upwards and landed squarely in the center of the target's "head". The eyes of all present popped into sizes that put saucers to shame. "No way!" Both Dagger and Joker exclaimed simultaneously. The boy smirked at them.

Picking up another knife, a repeat performance was given adding to the awe of all the spectators. This was simply not possible!

….

Ivy's tail swished in boredom as she silently muttered to Sebastian with half-lidded, disinterested eyes. "You cheating bastards." He just chuckled, readying another pebble between his thumb and forefinger as Ciel took on another knife. Over and over. The boy chucked the knives with expert aim and the butler would secretly flick a pebble at the air-borne weapons to keep them going on course. Eventually, the target's head had no more room for one more blade. Ciel finished and Dagger ran over to the board, scratching his head downright befuddled.

"All right?" The boy grinned with his one visible eye shining. Joker smiled down at him with his arms folded.

"Seems like you got control of it." The compliment seemed warm enough. That is until… "All right! NEXT!" There was more it seemed. "Tightrope walking!" Oh. Crap. Ciel's eyes popped. Before he knew it he was standing on a high platform, looking down at the -very far away- ground. Sweat drop. Behind him a girl of perhaps fourteen to fifteen years of age crouched tying the rope nice and tightly to the platform. The same girl from the performance. She was the tightrope walker of the group. Ivy looked up at the little Earl with wide eyes. "Doll!" Joker called up from the ground with his hands around his mouth. "Tie the lifeline tightly! Its dangerous if a beginner falls!" Well he was certainly being a great help.

"Can't I do some sort of music test or something?" Ciel called down to them. Joker seemed highly amused by this and called back up at him laughingly.

"Hmmm? Do ya wanna retire already boy?" His smile was a bright one, with closed eyes that reminded Ivy of Sebastian's fake 'I-swear-I'm-not-dangerous' smile. Interesting.

"N-no!…but if there is something else-!"

"If you're serious about this, don't dawdle and do it quick!" He did not trouble himself by allowing the little newcomer to finish his sentence. Did it seem mean? Perhaps. Did he need to be a little mean sometimes to root out who really wanted to enter the circus? Yes. So it did not matter to him what others thought about it. Negotiations were not possible it seemed. So Ciel shakily slid one foot outward nervously.

"_Sebastian…" _Ivy fidgeted nervously. What exactly did he plan on doing to help now? The demon smirked out of the corner of his eye at her. More pebbles. "_Oh…you can't be serious…if that boy falls-"_

"Hush. Not to worry." Honestly there were times where he was so completely unbearable. Then other times where she could talk to him animatedly for hours on end without once wanting to break a chair across his teeth. She watched as the boy's body whipped to and fro. Nearly falling before a pebble would come out of nowhere and smack him upright. Ow. It certainly looked like it hurt…and Sebastian certainly looked like he was enjoying himself. How often did he get to openly torment his master after all? The onlookers 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the struggling boy. It was ridiculous that they could not see what Sebastian was doing.

Soon enough, to Ciel's utter relief, it was over and he was back on solid ground. The angry tick in his eye visible to all who knew him. Ivy really could not help but giggle ever so slightly even if she felt bad for him. Sebastian openly snickered. In the meantime the oblivious Joker praised the boy highly. "That was great! I really didn't think you would be able to do it!" He confessed, clapping his hands together in approval.

"_Thank you._" The undercover Earl acknowledged darkly, still rubbing his aching legs and backside. 'I'll remember this later.' he promised himself as Dagger happily came up to him and ruffled his hair.

"Don't demote this cute lil' guy, boss!" He laughed good naturedly. Joker held up a hand.

"Not yet." He halted the celebrating for a moment. "The boy still hasn't done something very important." The tone of his voice was serious. Ciel's face darkened with apprehension. For crying out loud what next? "A big ol' fashioned show man's…smile!" There was that smile of his again. "C'mon…_smiiile_~" He cajoled the boy. Ciel clenched his fists in horror. He had sworn off smiling long ago…and had even gotten to the point where he believed that he had forgotten how to even do it. Yet here he was…being made to smile whether he liked it or not. At this point Sebastian had turned his back and stifled a full out cackle that probably would have disturbed everybody present. Ivy was peeking curiously over his shoulder, no doubt curious to see him smiling. He had never allowed her to see it before.

He told himself that this was for the Queen and for his duty as the Watchdog…his very word and reputation were at stake if he did not successfully complete this case. So with this…his expression slowly melted into a brilliant, charming….fake smile that had everybody convinced.

….

The costume planning was pretty unfair. Sebastian basically wore the same clothes he always had except for a top hat and a painted face, yet Ciel was forced to wear this ridiculous almost feminine outfit. It was like they were exploiting excuses to make fun of the boy's petite size at every turn. A pirate head-dress with a big feather, a pin striped -slightly puffy- shirt covered in ruffles, puffy short-shorts with a tail of fabric flowing from the side with suspenders, and lacy thigh-high stockings. Ivy had never been happier to have gone undercover here as a cat.

"Everyone! From today on, we have some new friends!" Joker announced to the people present. He seemed to have such a way with people. This was definitely the job for him. "New comers…Black." He motioned to Sebastian who spoke up politely, holding the top hat over his chest.

"I'm Black. It's a pleasure."

"And this one is…Smile." Ciel looked fairly insulted by the name. Still the neko decided that it fit him in spite of everything…because he had the sweetest smile that Ivy had ever seen. Real or not. Sebastian just grinned to himself. Joker patted the two newbies on the backs. "Let's get along well with them everyone." Everybody called out an affirmative.

"Come on, Smile. Greet your elders." Sebastian chided, adding wood to the fire. Oh, how he loved to aggravate a situation. Once again the little Earl twitched at the treatment he was receiving here.

"Eh…? _Its…uh…Its nice to meet you._" He managed with a dark tone of voice, trying to remain in the persona of a harmless boy.

"C'mon, Smile. SMILE!" Joker laughed. Oi...puns. This. Was. Hell. "Now, I'll take you on a quick tour of the backstage area. Follow me." Well the infiltration seemed successful enough. Boy, butler,…and well…cat... followed after the impish, substitute ring leader as he continued to speak. "First, these are the tents that you guys'll sleep in." Ivy had not thought about accommodations until he mentioned this. Aw, damn it. It was pretty obvious where she would be sleeping. Her fur bristled. 'I'll remember this later.' She internally growled.

"Its where the backstage workers and circus new-comers or 'second-tier' members live. 'Bout two or three people share a tent." He informed brightly. They kept moving along as Joker pointed out all the places that they needed to know where to find. "Now the central most part here are for the main cast's private tents." The troop perked up at this tid-bit of information.

"Private?" Ciel looked at Joker inquisitively.

"S'a private room you get if you're really good. Ah, an' that's Snake's tent so stay away from it for your own good. There're a bunch of poisonous snakes roaming free o'er there so if you get bitten you're off to the underworld." It made sense considering they did not have a proper hospital near by. "Snake and his friends are still shy y'know." He explained. "Careful of their poison, you two…and mind that little fur ball of yer's too. Hate to see anything happen to the critter. She's a cute one, she is." Ivy narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the statement. The safety lecture continues.

….

"She was telling the truth." A full breed neko drawled. "You can search her memory again if you like. There is no name available to us." Roxanna's unconscious form lie on the ground as they spoke. By threatening her human companion's life they had gotten her to speak. The bored speaker nudged her casually under the heel of his boot. He seemed to be the only one present who was not trembling before his young leader. "All we have is that a young heir appeared at their doorstep, and confirmation that the half breed in question is with him in his household." Said leader gave a snarl.

"I'll not accept another dead end. Besides, use common sense you buffoon. No self respecting nobleman -child or not- would neglect to introduce himself before entering a stranger's home." He argued. His associate simply rolled the teenaged girl casually under his foot. "Clearly a piece is being over-looked."

"I resent being told how to do my job, young Lord. I am telling you that this boy must have disregarded such a thing because he never told this girl his name. Period."

"And I am telling you that I don't believe that."

"We have tried to find her companion but he seems to have vanished. No doubt he is searching for the girl. How very human…and feeling."

"Well. I certainly hope you can find him. Otherwise it will be another dead end and you will be the first one I take my frustration out on. Do you understand?" The look in his young golden eyes was fierce and serious. Still his subordinate was undaunted. Green eyes staring back.

"You forget my reputation as a tracker. I can track a kitsune sprite in the middle of a snow storm. I will find this ridiculous human."

"See that you do. In the meantime…do something about the girl. She is of no use to us any longer. Leave her in an alleyway for all I care and let's get moving."

….

"Right. This is the practice tent." High platforms. Safety nets that seemed to span for miles. The roof of the tent towered above their heads. Ivy looked around curiously, watching humans attempting tricks that to her kind were about as difficult as coloring in the lines. She really pitied the young master. This would be a nightmare for an inexperienced boy like him. Some did very well while others were still getting the hang of it…the bottom line was that Ciel Phantomhive was definitely not at the level of anybody here. "New people practice over an' over here, aiming at making their debut in a real public performance." He turned to them. "Anyway. Just work on the basics first. Warm up carefully, and-"

"Joker!" Beast lifted the tent flap, one arm strewn casually over her whip, resting against the generous curve of her hips. "Its almost your turn!" She informed him dutifully. Joker sighed with an obliging smile.

"Yes'm." He nodded. Striding off with her to tend to his public. "Go ahead an' go all out you two!" The circus leader called over his shoulder to Ciel and Sebastian. Or rather Smile, and Black. On the way out Beast threw a dirty resentful look Sebastian's way which he met with his usual unreadable expression. Right away the three of them conversed among themselves. Ivy hopped off of Sebastian's shoulder and began grooming her fur.

"The poisonous snake tent is the entrance to the first tier members tents, huh." Ciel remarked dryly.

"I could have told you that." Ivy responded in an equally dry fashion.

"So instead of a guard dog, it is guard snakes is it?" He murmured aloud while Sebastian aided him to stretch. He seemed mildly puzzled that Ciel was so stiff. As if he was wondering why he could not bend all the way down from his position on the floor. Ha. He was so insensitive towards lesser beings.

"Your body is very stiff." The butler remarked with an almost concerned look. Ivy laughed and Ciel just scowled, twitching in irritation.

"Well what can you do? Humans simply can not stretch the way we can." She remarked. The butler scoffed.

"They can, little one. It is simply with a lot of practice that they manage unlike neko demons like yourself who are born with all the abilities of a contourtionist." He responded, kneading the Earl's shoulders. The kitten rolled large green eyes. "I would have assumed you understood that…being half human after all. Since that did not come to mind, that must mean you are quite flexible in demon standards despite your human genes." The remark was annoying but he had said worse before.

"I myself do not even know that I can bend as far as full demons, you giant black buffoon. Yes I am flexible compared to a human but -though I am curious- I never had the opportunity to figure out if I was at well…_your _level." She muttered for lack of better words. The butler smirked and Ciel frowned at them.

"_My _level?" He drawled. Silence. "I do not believe you have even seen my level. In any case I've become curious myself. Perhaps I can see for myself…that is if you do not mind demonstrating-"

"Either the two of you are completely clueless, or you are purposely steering this conversation onto very potentially disgusting ground." Ciel Phantomhive snapped with a twitch. His skin was crawling. Ivy blinked, oblivious to his meaning. It was just stretching, right? "Stop it. Focus both of you." He ordered. "To enter the private tents, we have to become first tier members? Sebastian. If it's you, poisonous snakes should not be an issue, correct? You can see if the children are there or not-"

"They're not." Both butler and maid piped up simultaneously. Ciel blinked at them in surprise with a short 'huh?'. "I could not feel any sign of the children's presences either last night or during today's tour." Sebastian explained and Ivy gave an affirmative nod. The boy sighed and Sebastian linked arms with him to stretch out his back. They both did this back and forth as they relayed through ideas. Really, Ciel supporting Sebastian's weight simply didn't seem fair…especially since the demon did not need to stretch.

"Even so, we have no evidence that there _isn't _any relation either. You haven't searched every nook and cranny, and Ivy has yet to communicate with the tigers and other big cats of the circus." Blood rushed to his head as Sebastian bent over to stretch out the boy's back.

"That is right." The demon consented. "There is always the possibility that their current condition is such that I am unable to sense their presences." His tone was casual and serene as he implied the scenario of the children's deaths. Ivy simply vigorously continued to attempt to groom herself. This place was so damn filthy! Her fur was becoming dreadful and she had been feeling another presence. It was sharp…cold…hard…like glinting steel in a dark room. Very well balanced though.

"Don't say such things. She wishes for the children's safe return." The two non-humans knew that the young master could only mean the Queen when he said 'she'.

"Understood." Sebastian said simply. "By the way. Rather than sensing the children's presences…I did s-" The contracted demon was interrupted by a familiar young circus performer jumping into his face.

"Heeeeeyyyy! Don't stretch so sluggishly you guys!" He was reprimanding them. "Hey there, fluffy." His bright smile seemed sincere enough as he hunched over to greet the little kitten. Ivy still shied away when he reached to pet her. "You should really have somebody to watch her while you guys p-"

"Boss Dagger! What about your performance?" One of the recruits called to him, surprised that he was back so soon. The knife thrower brightened all the more. Really could his presence be anymore obnoxiously sunny right now?

"Today I was the top batter! I'm already done so I'm observing practice." The explanation was enough and they went about their business. Dagger turned back to Black and Smile. "First, you gotta choose your event. What are you hoping for?" He placed his hands on his waist.

"A program that does not involve myself, and tightrope walking would be good…seriously." Smile grumbled awkwardly. Dagger laughed at this.

"You seem pretty weak, eh?" He chuckled making Ciel bristle. "Then I'll be earnestly teaching Smile the art of knife throwing. What about you, Black?" The tall butler remained impassive as ever.

"I have no particular preferences." A simple response.

"You've got good reflexes don't you?" Dagger offered. "If there is something you see and it looks like you can do it, give it a try-"

"Yes." He zoomed past a stunned Dagger who had barely finished his sentence. "First is…flying blanco." He flew with great ease above the safety net. Okay he was just showing off at this rate. One event after another was completely mastered by the new comer and everybody stared in awe as he moved about surpassing their best efforts. "Juggling. Pole climbing. Jumping through fire. High wire. Trampoline." Ivy huffed. Subtlety was not his strongest point no matter what he said. He picked up a sword confidently. "Next is-"

"ENOUGH! ENOUGH!" Dagger waved his arms at him to stop. In an instant everybody crowded Sebastian with applause and much praise. Especially the girls. Ivy promptly distracted herself feeling for the other strange presence once again. They were somewhere in this tent at a higher altitude. It could have been anybody on those damn platforms.

"AMAZING!"

"Way to go, Black!" Ciel drew his butler's attention away from his adoring fans with a quiet 'hey!'. The boy had every right to be apprehensive.

"You're getting carried away." The boy gritted between his teeth as Sebastian scooped up Ivy before she could protest once again. Her ears drooped and she sulked. "Act a little more like a new-" He could not finish his sentence before Dagger was on them again.

"C'mon, honestly!" He laughed, thoroughly impressed. Black just blinked back, rubbing his cat's paws between his fingers. "Another super recruit's appeared? I wont lost you know!" It was a warning in jest. Though one could not help but feel threatened. All three outsiders however reasoned the same way. He had said 'another'. So there was somebody else as good as Sebastian here? No doubt it had to be the other presence.

"Hm?…Another?" Ciel questioned. Dagger pointed upwards in response.

"There is this amazing guy who just recently joined." He explained. "Look over there." They did so apprehensively and when Ciel and Sebastian saw who the knife thrower was referring to they both looked fairly horrified. This could not be good. "He was some sort of government worker and he's totally serious, see?" Ivy recognized him as the shinigami who dragged away that red clad freak…Grell? That's right. Grell Sutcliffe. He had black greased hair, rectangular glasses, and a white suit with black gloves and loafers, and a polka dotted tie. Well he certainly was not dressed the same as the last time she'd seen him. "Heey! Come down here for a sec, Suit!" Dagger called him.

He was giving them a filthy look from where he stood on a tightrope. Ah if looks could kill. "Th…that's…" Ciel breathed wide-eyed. The clean cut death god gave a visible huff.

"I thought I sensed an unpleasant aura. So it was you, was it?" Alright so this man was completely hostile. Ivy labeled him right then. Not a friend. "Honestly." His yellow green eyes darkened and with a move like lightening nearly impaled either boy or butler if they had not moved so abruptly. The neko let out a brief startled cry that had to be stifled by a gloved hand. This act had her bristling now. Oh this guy was now on her list of people to brutally murder. "I did not think we would meet again…what are you fishing around for this time?" He leapt down to stand before them snatching up his garden clippers. If only Ivy could speak. "You devilish fiend." The clippers roughly poked Sebastian in the shoulder as he made sure to block Ciel from the shinigami's path.

Everybody stared blankly after such a declaration. This did not look good. "…This is new…what is this…a cleverly disguised imp?" He eyed Ivy with disgust, pointing the clippers in her general direction. Her fur rose on her back and she gave a loud cross between a snarl and a hiss at him before Sebastian drew her back to his chest, genuinely affronted by the declaration.

"Certainly not." He responded harshly. Ciel was pale…and incredibly nervous.

"Even under the best of circumstances. In these times of grim reapor shortages…with a demon appearing like this…it will throw off my schedule." He paid Dagger's loud questions no mind as he spoke. Ciel was trying to keep up their disguises. If the people knew what Sebastian and William were... Just then Dagger smacked the reapor in the face laughingly.

"Give it up forehead!" He scoffed. "You said that with such a straight face, I couldn't even tell you were joking!" Well that was the biggest relief in the world. The little Earl let out a long breath of air. "Since the first day he got here, this guy's been telling jokes. Stuff like 'how about this soul'. He's a real hardcore occult fan!" How exactly was that funny?

"Even though they are not actually jokes." William remarked silently. Dagger began to introduce them and Ivy had no interest in it. She decided to plan on where to begin looking for where they kept the big cats in this circus.

"Well. Bond over your hopes and get along well!" He patted their shoulders. It seemed the reapor had no interest in introductions either because he swiftly turned his back and walked the other way.

"Sorry, but there is no way I'll get along with a savage beast." Dagger was once again taken aback.

"'No way?' The circus is about teamwork!" He chased after him. Well he was not bothering them anymore at least.

"Who is that, bastard? He's got a bigger stick up his backside than Sebastian." Ivy growled.

"William T. Spears of the Shinigami Dispatch District. They collect the souls of the dead and dying, and are in constant conflict with the demons who steal said souls." Sebastian explained simply. Ciel watched him leave, still looking surprised beyond belief.

"Why is a grim reapor in a place like this?" The boy questioned.

"Perhaps there is going to be an important death sometime soon around here?" Ivy proposed. It only made sense considering her mother had always told her that reapors only visibly manifested before somebody was going to die.

"A grim reaper personally infiltrating a place is rare." Sebastian piped in. "Now we do know one thing for sure…"

"There is something in this circus after all." They all stated. Ciel looked at William's back once more.

"It seems like there could be some value in sifting him out for information." He stated. "Sebastian." Nothing else needed to be said. Ivy really did not wish to talk to him so she just pouted. He called her an imp. A bloody _imp. _Even Sebastian had been insulted by the proclamation. Dagger randomly reappeared and snatched Ciel away lecturing him on slacking off all the while.

"As you wish." Sebastian murmured and Ivy withered. He plucked her from his shoulder and held her out in front of him. "Oh dear…he did upset you quite a bit didn't he?" Whatever. As if _he _never upset her before. It was his favorite past time in fact. "Not to worry, little one. I'd rather speak to him alone anyway." He fondled her ears again. Damn it! She hated that. He placed her down and she shook out her fur angrily. As _if_ she would stay here by herself. People kept trying to touch her and it was making her fur greasy. She simply followed at a distance.

…..

"Thanks for waiting everyone! Its time for the new arrivals room assignments~!" Joker called. Ciel sat on a wooden crate, exhausted and furious after a day's 'labor' at this ridiculous place. The second hand ring leader noticed this right away. "Huh, Smile's not very cheerful..~." He teased. "Smile, Smile." How Ciel hated the dreadful play on his nickname and practice for the day had been worse than he'd ever imagined. "For fairness' sake, these're the results of a lottery. Smile is in tent 8. Here is your room mate." Joker pushed forward a boy. Freckles covered his face and bangs fell over his right eye. He was much taller than Ciel…probably around the age of fifteen? The young Earl sighed scrutinizing him. 'It'll be tough to suddenly room with someone new.' He thought to himself.

"Black's in tent 9." At this Ciel panicked.

"Seba-…Black and I aren't rooming together?" He yelled. 'Count your blessings, child.' Ivy grudged mentally. Once again Dagger laughed, stepping up next to Joker.

"Gee. Smile sticks really close to Black, huh."

"Th-that's not it-!"

"Its alright. You'll be independent soon enough." The marksman assured. Moving around was going to be near impossible if Ciel and Sebastian could not room together. This was bad.

"Black and I should room together, after all-!" He tried to protest but was not heeded. Joker continued speaking undaunted.

"Black's room mate is…Suit!" Both Ivy and Sebastian blanched in disgust. The three looked at each other in sheer horror at the prospect. Damn it! No! They could almost hear the sound of shattering glass. Ivy would have screamed under any other circumstance. Sebastian simply began stroking her fur and twitching…no doubt trying to calm himself down and Suit was not much better. They continued to stand stock still and stared each other down face to face. "Black and Smile already get along well, this is your chance to make new friends!" Joker explained cheerfully. Oh well that feels a whole lot better…not. "Well that's a wrap folks!" He and Dagger made their merry way off chatting all the while.

Ciel made one last feeble attempt only to be met with an adament. "Goodnight~!" He officially hated his life more than before if that were possible.

"This is the worst." William, -or rather- 'Suit' remarked, once again adjusting his glasses. An engrained habit no doubt.

"I can assure you the feeling is mutual." Sebastian responded. Meanwhile the boy apparently known as 'Freckles' was shaking Ciel's hand and talking animatedly.

"It's nice to meet you, Smile!"

"…Yeah…" The poor dejected boy responded. This was going to be a long evening. Oh boy. He had a migraine already. Hopefully his butler and maid could behave civilized enough with that reaper.

…..

The damn tent had only two beds. Whatever happened to two or three? Ivy sighed miserably. It looked as though she was stuck in her cat form tonight. It was too cold to sleep under the bed -not like William T…whatever his name was, would allow it- and there was no way she was sharing a bed with…_that beast_ in her regular form. "Your bed is the upper bunk." William informed, he drew a line in the dirt floor with his scythe. "Behind this line lies my private property now, and as of such, please do not set foot here at any cost." Oh and what exactly gave him the right to make _ground rules_?

"Understood." The demon responded with disinterest. He did not care where he slept anyway.

"Do not flatter yourself, Lady Willemina. Nobody wishes to encroach on _your _privacy anyway." Ivy drawled bluntly.

"So it finally speaks. Truly, why must I live together with the likes of a demon and his mouthy imp-"

" Listen here, four-eyes! I am not an imp! It is none of your concern _what_ I am! All you must know is not to address me as such ever again or I will set you and your -probably will never happen- future children on FIRE! Understood?" Sebastian paid little attention to her tantrum as he lifted her and carefully placed her on the top mattress.

"Now, now. Behave yourself, little one." He stroked her fur. William watched with disdain.

"I have previously informed you, but unlike demons, reapers require sleep. I hope that you will not create any disruptive noises late at night to interrupt my sleep. Especially that little loud mouth of yours." The irritated reaper warned.

"Perhaps she is only loud when irritated by lesser beings." Sebastian retorted. The half neko strangely found the statement rather sweet. "Anyway, demons do enjoy sleep as a luxury." Sebastian corrected with a sigh. He easily climbed into the top bunk. Ivy moved out of his way nervously. She was feeling increasingly awkward. It was an even closer fit than she'd previously deducted it would be. Well at least he was not a mover…in fact he never moved from that stiff, straight, king of the undead position. Really all that was missing was for his arms to be crossed over his chest. Her tail thumped on his pillow in discontent. She wasn't sleepy yet…and it was aggravating.

"Ugh this is so boring." She whispered miserably. Sebastian shushed her…listening carefully. Her ears perked up curiously. Eventually came the sound of William's steady breathing. Carefully, when it seemed he was not moving anytime soon, the demon slowly sat up. Ivy should have known that Sebastian Michaelis would always keep himself busy. This meant the bed was hers. Yay! When he peered over the edge of the bunk however it was apparent that William Spears was far too light of a sleeper. He thrust his clippers upwards at his face nearly taking out the demon's eye.

"Where are you going? It is well past lights-out time. Truly, I can not tolerate your soul-stealing, so please cease your wandering about without a master while I sleep." He warned. Bugger! Sebastian glared and let out an annoyed breath. He could not start a fight here. Contracts came with their disadvantages. Ivy huffed and peeked over the railing. If only she could just get her hands on those glasses of his. Keep away sounded like fun right about now. Neither of them really wanted to remain cramped in a tent with the death god for a whole night.

"It's going to be a long night." She sighed wearily as he laid back down, frowning all the while. Yep…Ciel would have definitely been a better roomie. She watched Sebastian curiously as he remained still, eyes shut. If sleep was a luxury for demons how quickly did they fall asleep? With her ears back she crawled toward his pillow sniffing at his form. He seemed so harmless as he was. Ha. Like a sleeping prince until the gates of hell open and he drags you down into the flaming pits for an eternity of torture. Still this thought did not really frighten her at the moment. She rested her furry chin on his pillow with wide saucer eyes and whispered quite like a little child. "_Are you sleeping yet?_" Red eyes blinked open casually and she only flinched slightly. Silence. "Hi." Her fur hid her embarrassed blush. A black eyebrow was raised.

"Hello." He responded. "What precisely are you doing?" She shook her head innocently.

"Nothing. Just being curious again. You do not require sleep…so how do full breeds sleep? Does each half of your brain take turns…like dolphins? Or do you just have long periods of dozing…like a cat? Oh! Or perhaps you go into an almost coma-like state- but that couldn't work because then how will you know when to wake up?- Wait, do you have to make a conscious effort to wake up?" He blinked at all of her questions. She had leeway being as cute as she was with her fluffy tail swishing. The demon smiled.

"There is no special way for a demon to enjoy sleep, little one. We simply fall asleep to pass the time…but we do so in the same manner anybody else would." He responded. She nodded. "Should you not be sleeping yourself?" He inquired. Ivy just shook her head no.

"I can't. I am not sleepy yet. Do you have dreams too?" Her head tilted. Why the sudden curiosity? He was certain that she would be avoiding his attention completely in a scenario such as this one.

"Not that I recall." Was his simple response. Ivy sighed and walked around the pillow, climbing up to sit on his chest and face him.

"I guess that is just for half breeds like me then. My mother told me the same thing. Did you know your…erm…progenitors, Sebastian?" He sat up and she had to move down into his lap to avoid falling from his chest. Whoa…oh dear! Ohdearohdear…oooh dear. Alright. This was quickly becoming weird again.

"This is hardly the place to speak such personal matters. Don't you think?" The demon butler told her simply. Realizing that she was once again in his lap she leapt off with a squeak. He was right. It was too intimate. Plus, they were not exactly alone in here. The shinigami 'enforcer' was just under them being his apparently normal prickly self and really neither of them wished to exchange personal information around him.

"Sorry." She giggled sheepishly, slinking toward the foot of the bed. "I am talking too much aren't I? Do not mind me, I am just bored- ack!" He just dragged her back into his lap casually with a chuckle. "Hey! What are you doing?" She protested.

"Well you said that you were bored and that you could not sleep, I am simply taking pains to remedy the situation." He rubbed her ears languidly. Ivy's paws swung at his hands but did little to deter him before she was involuntarily purring. Well…this _was _making her sleepy.

"I…I was making a statement…not a-…-hn-….an appeal." She whined, lying down and stretching out under his fingers instinctively. He smirked.

"Hmm certainly." The demon nodded, but did not cease. "Is that good?" He teased. Ivy could barely form a response between her purrs but managed a soft.

"…_D-drop dead…" _Sebastian just chuckled.

"It would be much appreciated if the both of you saved such disgusting displays for when others are not forced to remain within hearing range." And thus William T. Spears successfully trampled on Sebastian Michaelis's moment. "Please, wait until you've vacated the area, and have thus taken your inappropriate, inter-species romance with you." The demon scowled at nothing in particular as Ivy rushed to the railing and glared down that the reaper.

"Romance my arse! In any case we will gladly do so after _you_ vacate the area and take your filthy mind with you. Also, if our talking bothers you…that is your own fault for making us stay in here all night with nothing else to do. Demons bore easily. So live with it, you whiny bastard." Sebastian laid back down, still frowning.

"Goodnight." He stated simply, shutting his eyes. Relieved as she was to be in the clear, Ivy still did not appreciate the reaper's words. She would get back at him later. Ooh and she would do it good too. Walking in a circle a few times the half breed was lucky to find a good spot to nestle into…even if it was curled into the demon's side. Oh joy, sleeping with Sebastian. Every girl's dream. 'Gag me with…_watermelon_.' She growled internally.

…..

She was dreaming again. That much was evident when hours later -just an hour or so before dawn- Sebastian found himself waking up to the sudden feel of a lithe but strong little leg, locking around one of his. Well now…this was certainly unexpected. When exactly had Miss Ivy changed back? She made an odd whimpering sound. He frowned. Her nightmares were rather distracting as they caused her to move around and cling. They were also likely the reason that she was no longer in her cat form now. Ah, the wonders of the subconscious.

The female arched into his side with a purr, effectively surprising the aged demon. Her hands had once again found his hair…she must have been rather fond of his hair whether she realized it or not. Sebastian's eyes glowed for a second when her nails traveled to graze the nape of his neck. He debated waking her, seeing as she would no doubt scream and completely blame him despite being the one to cozy up to him so…_nicely_ he should say. When she slid her leg upwards with a soft sigh, he stiffed, taking note that she was certainly NOT having a nightmare. It was of one those _other_ dreams of hers. Now this was priceless, he smirked to himself trying not to laugh.

If he woke her up now…she would scream…but it would certainly have been amusing and would no doubt scare the reaper below them into a groggy frenzy. Then again somebody would certainly hear her. That would not do. She breathed into the crook of his neck before finally going motionless again. Decisions. Well she would wake up on her own soon anyway. As if on cue, he felt her eyelashes flutter open like butterfly wings. There was confusion in her fogged up eyes before she gave a violent jerk and froze. Now completely alert. His smirk widened a fraction. "I'm assuming you slept well." He remarked. For a moment she looked like she would cry before she sprang up with a cry.

"YOU PERVERT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She demanded.

"Now now, it was not me who decided to get snuggly while having a naughty dream, pet-"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" Ivy could feel her being withering and slowly dying at his words.

"_Shut. Up." _William snarled at them prodding the mattress with his scythe. Not a morning reaper perhaps. He peered at them through his glasses. "I see… so it is a half breed." Yellow green eyes narrowed at the girl. "What a despicable combination. Human and Demon…the two most selfish creatures in the universe." Ivy twitched. Worst wake up call EVER.

"If you dislike it, then sleep elsewhere." Sebastian responded, equally irritated now.

"SHUT UP! YOU ARE BOTH PRICKS! I SHOULD KILL BOTH OF YOU! FIRST YOU, THEN WILLIAM, AND-AND… _THEN YOU AGAIN_!" She growled. Her unwelcome 'bed-mate' covered her mouth. Enough noise was enough noise.

"I believe you are over-reacting -ah! None of that- I have done nothing to disgrace you, you have my word." He restrained her mid sentence when she almost attacked him again, scolding her. His face broke into a smirk once again as she began to blush. "You however...are shockingly forward." Mock scandal filled his voice. She froze once again…twitching.

"Oh Blaaaaack~! Suuuiiit~! Rise and shine!" Joker's voice echoed and Ivy immediately changed back into a kitten and hopped down the bunk in a panic. The ring leader flung open the tent flap. "Circus ettiquette one o' one. Newcomers get up early to make breakfast! C'mon now, chop chop!" With that he was gone. Ivy let out a tired breath…exhausted from her stressful night and early morning outburst. Silence.

"Well then. You heard the man. Good day." With a huff the little feline stormed out, not bothering to react to the snickers of a demon or to the distasteful glare of a reaper. She was busy anyway.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay so the only reason I can talk -since ball gags are impossible to gnaw through without potentially choking oneself- is because I've been bargaining with Grell. Only cause Sebastian the ass head is taking his sweet ass time because he assily finds my situation funny. What an ass. This is why Ivy doesn't love you! Dx! Anyway once again I hope you guys liked this chapter -really this one bored me writing in all this circus stuff so I was in a hurry to write it so I hope that nothing seemed too far fetched or rushed…or half assed and uh…yeah. Insecurities much? Perhaps, perhaps. Lets be frank here…I'll update after I get ten reviews on this chappie. Hee hee I'm so mean.


	28. That Maid Busy

Author's Note: I almost did not write this. I almost gave up on my stories. I'm sorry I did not keep my promise. Recently I fell into a depression because of another death in my family. My dad this time. :'(. Anyway I mustered up enough to get back and I'm going to try and get this chapter up and finished as soon as I can. AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER for all of your patience folks. I was touched with all of my reviews. On a lighter note, I did watch the English dub for Kuroshitsuji…there are several grievances that I will discuss later. Anyway I hope nobody has given up on me and uh yeah please read and review. Ciao.

Disclaimer: You know what? *rips through ropes like tissue paper in my rage* *throws ball gag at Grell's eye with such force that his glasses break* FUCK THIS PLACE! FUCK YOU PEOPLE! I do not own Kuroshitsuji! How many times must I say it. ITS UNNECESSARY TO KEEP ME HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT I ALWAYS DISCLAIM IT WHEN EVERYBODY KNOWS I DON'T OWN IT! ….O.O'…Oh God…what have I done…wtf-! CHAINSAW! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *bolting down the hall* WIIIIIIIIILLLLL!

**Chapter Twenty Nine: That Maid Busy**

_"Thou art to me a delicious torment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson _

"Oh dear. Yes. I am so sorry, Betty. I understand. He is absolutely dreadful." A small kitten sat inside the large bars of a tiger cage. Grooming her fur absently. The great majestic tigress simply laid on her belly with her paws out in front of her. Something like the sphinx of ancient Egyptian mythology. Clearly she felt no need to harm the friendly little kitten, though she was not entirely her kind. What an unfitting name for such a beast. Betty. So plain.

"_He's an arrogant sod, and much too forward. Why are you still with him?" _

Ivy perked up at the question. Oh yes, she was supposed to be _his _cat right now. "O-oh. Well though he is quite the aggravating character, he is a good source of food and protection for a little one like me…and really not many people are willing to treat a cat better than they treat their own kind. I am more spoiled than most manor pets….at least I _was_ a manor pet ha ha. Anyway I must apologize to you on his behalf as he often gets carried away around feline creatures like you and I."

"_So well spoken. As expected of a manor pet. You like him." _The statement was so matter of fact, and it was not as though Ivy blamed Betty for it. Pretending to be his pet entailed that the only reason for her to stick around with him now was that she did like him.

"Ha ha ha. A little. After all, nobody scratches ears the way he does."

"…_Agreed…" _Ivy tried not to snicker at the tiger's reaction. After all as little as either one really liked all that attention from Sebastian Michaelis, to deny that fact would have been pointless.

"Tell me about your keepers. How do they go about their day? Are they kind to you?" Gaining enough trust for a personal conversation to begin was done. Now Ivy was free to ask questions. The tiger rested her large head on massive paws. Sebastian was right, they did not groom her properly, what with the way her nails seemed to scrape uncomfortably against the floor of the cage. Such a small cage at that, and then they wondered why she was full of so much ferocious energy. Difficult to manage. The poor thing did not have enough room to burn sufficient energy. She would have taken care of all that quickly if she could have been in her human form.

"_The female. Beast. She is my keeper. Though at times her harsh treatments make me consider devouring her when the right moment comes, I can not say that she is 'unkind'. Compare to my previous keepers that I've had after my abduction from home, she is very considerate." _Interesting, but that did not make someone innocent. All of the people seemed like good natured people…but it could not be denies. They were up to _something. _She just didn't know what.

"That is good. It must be difficult to be locked away in such a small enclosure, far away from home after all." Ivy remarked sympathetically. 'Betty' as they called her, just made a guttural growling sound.

"_They desire to break my will. To 'tame' me, but I have lived too long in freedom. I've tasted the thrill of a good hunt. They will never succeed. I will die here most likely and nobody can help that…but I'll not die obedient. Never." _'The thrill of the hunt.' Ivy mused mentally. It seemed that, that was what all predators truly craved.

"Who knows…perhaps someday I can be of service to you." The kitten proceeded to groom herself, unaware of how the tigress before her was taken aback by the statement.

"_Ha! All that primping and pampering must have made you presumptuous…very bold and perhaps over confident. I like that. Even if its making you spew nonsense." _The neko simply allowed herself to laugh at the statement.

"Well, at least they are not unkind as you've said. Do they ever leave for a while after a show?" Betty lifted her heavy head at this inquiry, seemingly intrigued.

"_Sometimes all night as a matter of fact. How would y-?"_

"HERE!"

"Ack-!" Ivy was snatched out from between large iron bars by a hand gripping her collar. The startled Betty snarled at the intruder and made a swipe with one of her enormous paws, thinking for a moment that perhaps her new little friend had been assaulted. "Phew! Well that was a close one, eh fluffy?" Ivy could have thrown Dagger into the nearest rubbish pile for the interruption. Damn it! So close! She meowed and wriggled. "Woah! Yer' real strong, aren't ya? Can't have ya end up Betty's mid-morning snack though. Come on. Let's find Black." To hell with this shit!

The neko girl smacked the performer's hands with her little -but quite sharp- claws, making his grip loosen enough for her to escape without harming him. She then propelled herself away from him with a kick from all four legs that sent him falling onto his rear. Bugger. She had not meant to hit him so hard. Distracted by her mistake, she barreled into the arms of the snake charmer they called…well…erm… Snake.

"You scared her, Dagger…says Emily." He adjusted her ribbon collar much to her surprise. So he was not moody or hostile at all, as he had once seemed. Just silent. "Black is busy cooking breakfast with the other newcomers, he must have lost track of her, says Wild." Was he…translating for the snakes? How extraordinary. She had heard him talk like this before, but had not realized exactly what he had been doing. Extraordinary indeed. He was not a demon or anything else in the supernatural world that she was aware of. How could he understand them and communicate with them? Ivy Ashcroft was officially fascinated. Dagger just got up, still staring incredulously at the little creature.

"Golly. Geez…she is one tough little cookie." He dusted off his backside with his hat. "We need someone to make sure she doesn't get into Betty's cage again. That was a close shave a moment ago…" He looked over at the cage. Ivy wanted to punch him on that hollow head of his. Betty only became aggressive because his loud ass startled her. Snake started to pet her and Ivy noted that his hands were completely dry. No hand grease. Thank. God.

"She will be fine with us until after breakfast, says Emily." It seemed that Snake agreed, though Ivy was not sure if he ever expressed himself without the help of these…'companions' of his. Anyway this was ridiculous. If she was being babysat now, how on earth would she be able to gather information? What use was she to Ciel if she could not even effectively gather information! Damn. Today was going to be tricky. For now though, she would have to deal with this…Snake. Whatever he was. If only she could talk to him. All the questions she would bombard him with!

"Well alright….just make sure yer critter friends don't try to eat her either…and give her back as soon as possible!" With that Dagger bounded merrily along his way. Probably to eat.

…..

Freckles stared at the empty plate sitting innocently in front of the little new comer. Blink, blink. The only thing Smile had managed to salvage for his breakfast was a single round loaf of bread. His hair was ruffled, his clothes were crooked…it must have been those greedy bullies. That wouldn't do. Not for a growing boy. No wonder he was so puny. "What? Looks like you only got bread in the end."

"_Y-yeah…" _Smile seemed to think that he hid his temper well. Clearly he was angry and uncomfortable. Some real food would do him good. The twig.

"Well that's that. I'll share some of my grub with you!" Ciel watched as the young performer declared, shoveling some breakfast onto the boys plate from the massive assorted pile on the plate that he had managed to accumulate due to his loud pushy personality. "You're skin an' bones, and so tiny! So eat up and grow some!" Freckles smiled brightly.

"Th-thank you very much." Ciel deemed it best that he keep to his manners. Really, he was aware of his size and physique. Everybody insisted on pointing it out left and right as if he could not already see his reflection in the mirror everyday.

"Anywho. Black is so good at cooking!" His room mate continued to babble nonsense.

"I see." He responded, wondering how Freckles could speak so clearly through such monstrous mouthfuls of food.

"I heard that he's an ex butler. So I guess that means butlers can cook too? He even made your failed potatoes so tasty!" Ciel cringed at the memory of his nightmarish attempt at peeling that batch of potatoes. Still as embarrassing as it was, it was not embarrassing enough to make him interested in making conversation. This circus boy seemed to be practically inhaling his meal.

"I see." The boy just repeated dryly, gnawing on his bread. Abruptly, Freckles dropped his fork with a clank against the now empty plate in front of him.

"Awright! I'm done! Time fer some practice. Let's go!" Impossible.

"Already?" Ciel protested loudly with a start. Why did _he _have to join him? This was going to be a long day. One thing was certain now. Ciel Phantomhive was never coming to another circus _ever again._

…..

Wesley was tired. Hazel eyes glancing about wearily from where he leaned against a brick wall. His gloved hands wrung his cap anxiously to and fro, and he shivered against the winter chill, sitting in a crouched position on the cobblestone ground.

He had not dared stop at an inn to sleep for fear that something may have happened to his little friend. Not that something had not already happened to her…he simply did not want to waste a single moment if she were perhaps dying in some sort of gutter. Time had gone by in such a daze. The sweep barely even knew how long he had been searching without stop. Still, no luck. He knew that he was going to have to stop and rest _some _time…he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Back when they were kids, it had always been the three of them. That is…Him, Roxy,…and Ivy. Granted Roxy had always been the pudgy talkative little girl who followed them around…but Ivy was considerably more aloof than her. It took years before the odd girl actually began to speak to him out loud at all. Roxy however had been a little chatter box who constantly laughed. It always seemed that Ivy had taken even more of a shining to her than she had with him. Perhaps it was a feeling of responsibility that she had towards the little thing. A strange sight to see it was. An eight year old girl fussing with a four year olds scarf and jacket, scolding her like a mother.

'Ivy would make a great mother.' he mused. Despite her distant and strange behavior she was also kind, detailed, and maternal. She always took it upon herself to protect everyone smaller than her. Ha. Come to think of it, it was no different with those who were bigger than her actually. Including him. As a matter of fact when he'd first met Ivy - and she had been with little Roxy at the time- it was the first a foremost part of her personality that he had seen.

_**Flashback:**_

At first the busy ten year old Wesley was far too busy cleaning out his sweeps in the back streets to notice two little girls carrying baskets of fruit with them down the walk. One was older, and lead the small, pudgy one along by the hand. All walks of people passed him by everyday on the street. He may have never seen them at all if it had not been for the sound of a few street urchins laughing and the loud snarl of a dog. He perked up, catching sight of a bunch of older boy, laughing at a small black haired girl who was wordlessly…_expressionlessly _gathering scattered apples and pears from the ground.

A small toddler with reddish brown hair toddled about picking up one fruit in each hand and dumping them into the basket using her superior friend as an example. As cute as she was, Wesely was unnerved by the presence of the clearly very hungry urchins…and their leashed dog. Nobody had noticed him. Not that, that was anything new. Had _they _knocked over their baskets? The small hands of the ten year old boy clenched around his sweep…hesitant because they were much bigger than him.

It was a tense atmosphere but the ebony haired little girl didn't seem to feel well…_anything. _So he was not sure if they had assaulted her or not. No fear…or even anger could be seen. She just looked…dead eyed, and tired doll. Like most orphans seemed to look all the time.

"Oops. Yer clumsy huh?" One of them told her and just as she had finished filling the wicker basket back up and had taken her little companion by the hand, he kicked it over again. This time she looked at him. "You're being rude too. Can't speak? All we want is some o' them apples you got there. We're awful peckish…and so's our friend Rover 'ere." As if on cue their dog snarled at the girls, making the little one begin to weep and cling to the bigger girls skirts. Wesely's jaw clenched and he began to plan out his course of action.

"We can't control 'im forever…and we 'ave to feed 'im _something_. Don't we?" She simply frowned curiously at the animal and tilted her head. Still she did not seem threatened, nor did she respond, instead giving the older boys a dark look and stooping to gather the fruits once again.

"Oi! Did ya hear me?" He looked offended.

"Maybe she's deaf."

"I still say she can't talk."

"Probably right. Ha ha blimey, she's a mush mouth. Lets just take them then." One of the biggest ones went to snatch the basket as she finished only to yelp and stare in shock when she half slapped and half scratched his hand curtly. Wesley blinked before grinning to himself. "Oi! I should just feed _you _to our dog then, shouldn't I?" Clicking his tongue the dog snarled and snapped at her only to be punched on the nose before she walked around the beast, leading away the still warbling toddler. The dog gave a whimper that shocked the boys who had trained him. How hard had that blow been?

They stooped to check on the animal as the girls made their way off. Soon enough they noted that the little girl had made him bleed from the nose. Their leader's eye twitched before he stormed after her. "OI! Get back 'ere!" At this Wesley made his move. Small or not. He lunged forward, armed with his main cleaning tool and slid along the ground using it to trip the other boy flat onto his face losing his cap in the process. He was not sure what else he could do when he'd done it…but adrenaline and fear did amazing things because as another one of the urchins came to avenge his comrade they received a blow to the stomach then the face.

Then suddenly time seemed to freeze as their dog protectively reacted, launching at the small boy with jaws at the ready. Large hazel eyes watched like a deer in the headlights. A few boys tried to catch his leash, knowing for all the world that they never set out to kill anybody, just intimidate. No luck. The only thing that stopped the dog was the green blur of a flying pear that nailed him square in the mouth, stuck, practically choking him. Wesley blinked in surprise as did the other boys. Meanwhile Rover shook his large head trying to dislodge the fruit and forgetting all about his rage.

Ivy stood there in front of Wesley with her arms folded and narrowed eyes. Something about this girl suddenly dwarfed all around her. He didn't know what exactly possessed those boys to suddenly run away screaming that she was some kind of monster or something like that…but he was too stunned to register anything much. Her little arms were still folded as she turned to face him, eyes now large and curious.

"Er…hi!" He managed with a shy smile as he scratched the back of his neck. "I'm Wesley! What's your name?" The boy offered a hand to shake the way he was always taught to do by his father. Green eyes flitted down to his hand and the girl hesitantly took it however made no response. "So do you really not talk?" At this she released his hand abruptly and gave a very melancholy sigh. Rather than say anything she curtsied to him and made her way off with her little friend in tow, who was still watching him with big eye full of awe. She had never seen a boy up close before.

"Umm wait!" He jogged behind her. "You never told me your name." Another huff.

"Come on. I told you mine." The pout of a child. Puff. She was becoming irritated obviously. Resignedly she walked over to the trellis of a nearby house and tore a familiar green fern from the wood by its stem. Walking back over to him, she handed him the piece of vegetation. Sweatdrop. "…What? It's a piece of Ivy." At his cluelessness she rolled her eyes and picked up her pace as if to say 'forget it.'

"Wait…did I make you mad? I'm sorry. I just think yer real pretty is all, 'onest." At this she turned to look at him. The corners of her mouth pulling into an awkward smile. Saying nothing she just held out her hand and he looked down to see that she was handing him one of her apples. He gave up on trying to make her talk then and just smiled. "Thanks! 'ere now, let me walk you two back 'ome."

_**End Flashback**_

He chuckled softly to himself. After that the three of them had become friends and remained so until Ivy left without a word when she'd become too old to stay at the orphanage. Now it was just him and Roxy…and to lose her was unthinkable. As the now grown up chimney sweep drifted into these thoughts he began to doze off. Until he heard a small sound…like the croak of a frog perhaps. Nobody else would have paid attention to it…however it sounded an awful lot like his name.

Not trusting his tired senses, he turned his eyes toward the source of this sound. Standing on wobbling legs, one side of her face badly bruised, weary, with hair disheveled was the same little girl he had been searching for. Oh his relief at seeing her was tremendous however her state worried him all the more. She was not safe yet. _"Wess." _She repeated. The normal wild-eyed gleam in her eyes was not there…instead her gaze was far off, glassy and red from tears. He stood up swiftly. What had happened to her? Running before she could topple over he caught the girl by the shoulders and held her upright. "_I'm so tired. Carry me." _She managed to whisper.

"Roxy. What happed to you? Where have you been?" The young man asked in a panic, trying to keep her alert. He looked around back and forth to see if perhaps whoever had done this was still somewhere nearby but saw nothing really. How long had she been wandering around in this state…in this frigid weather. "Come on then. Let's get ya somewhere warm, then we can talk." She began to weep.

…..

It was time for a day's performance. Ivy was getting dazed from being passed around all day by the circus women as they prepared for their audience and customers. How she hated it. Sebastian had taken Ivy from Snake and the next thing she knew he handed her off to the first woman whom he manipulated into offering to watch her while he practiced. She was incredulous. All day he was surrounded by these women. These circus women were really something.

"Aww. Isn't that Black's kitten?"

"Yes. He asked me to watch her for him." The blush on her face was sickening.

"Eep! I'm so jealous!" This. Was. _Hell. _It had to be. There was no other explanation. What ignorant fools these females were. Had Sebastian not been collared by his contract to Ciel, Ivy was certain that he would easily aquire a feast for himself in this place. The hustle and bustle to prepare for that day's show was tremendous. Was it like this everyday? Ivy rolled her eyes and internally made faces as they chattered on and on about him. Honestly he called _Ivy _immature? If only _he_ could sit through this instead of her, then he would know the meaning of the word.

Something about human females in all walks of society that made them lose all intelligence when the subject of men came up…they were desperate for husbands because that was all society offered them for their future. It just didn't seem fair. Not every woman could hope for marriage, let alone rely on it to be their means of living and survival. A sad, sad cycle often ending in prostitution to make ends meet. In this way demons were superior, as gender was not a question in formidability among them.

"D'ya know where my head-dress is?" One of the girls piped up, nearly ready.

"Here it is." A familiar deep voice chimed in. Ivy did not know whether to feel relieved or to spit at the demon's shoes when he finally made his appearance. In his gloved hands he held out the lady's shiny crown. Where the hell had he been? Dagger and Joker strode purposefully about shouting orders here and there.

"Ah! Thank you." She smiled brightly at the black clad 'performer'. He nodded politely. She took it from him with a pleased blush. How presumptious.

"You are welcome. Now then, where is she?" He turned to find Ivy right where he had left her. She made sure to give him a very hard 'get-me-out-of-here-now-you-wretched-_wretched-_bastard' expression. The amused curl of his lip in response made her want to lunge at him…but it could wait. "Ah. Thank you for watching her. I will be taking her back now." The young woman handed her into his waiting arms.

"It's not a problem really. She's no trouble. If you need anything else I…" At this point Ivy tuned her out for her own sanity's sake. Every now and then she squirmed about in his arms for a more comfortable position. This was worse than both Sebastian's lectures and Lord West's rants _combined_. It was right up there with the disturbing rants of the Viscount Druitt. Sebastian was absently rubbing her paws between his fingers so Ivy really doubted that he was processing what the girl was even saying. It seemed that he was giving the girl lee way to get the wrong idea so Ivy began to grow too impatient to care about the liberties he was taking on her person. Then she caught words that made her twitch.

"Perhaps we can all explore the town together after today's performance." Was…this…girl…BLOODY SERIOUS? 'Oh my God. You know what? Just lie down and cover yourself in ketchup! You _deserve _to be eaten!' She wanted to shout. 'ABSOLUTELY NOT!' but cats don't shout, so instead she settled for shooting her gaze toward the demon, her claws digging into his arms in her irritation. Sebastian took a breath to respond but was interrupted as Ciel came rushing out of nowhere. How he had escaped the clutched of Freckles, Ivy really had no idea.

"Sebastian!"

"Excuse me." He immediately walked toward his master's side. The girl watched him leave in dissapointment. The three rendezvoused beside a costume rack as the boy spoke.

"He missed his mark!" The boy grabbed his servant's wrist urgently. "We don't know when our next chance will come! Let's get through investigating those tents now! We have to finish in less than ten minutes!" They ran as he gave his orders.

"Yes, my lord."

"I am on it!" Ivy darted off. The more people searching through the tents, the less time it would take to finish the task.

"BLACK!" Damn it. They froze. Joker stood with Wendy on his back, looking to be in a good deal of pain. As it turned out no. Wendy and Peter were adults with physical disorders…they were star quality acrobats however. To have Wendy injured was a terrible set-back for the performance. "Miss Wendy twisted her ankle, so she can't appear in performance anymore. So Black…please go out in her place. The show'll be fine if you do it so I beg of yer." The boy and butler had no choice but to agree. The young ring master gave a sigh of relief before taking Wendy toward the medical tent. "It'll be your turn soon, so please get ready soon!" He called over his shoulder.

"A pity, young master. We'll just have to wait for another opportunity."

"The tiger, Betty. She said that after every performance the first tier members often leave the circus camp for quite a while. Usually all night. So even if there are no children to be found here, that still leaves plenty of time to kidnap local children and bring them to another secured location before returning here. Also, I am going to ignore that insult to my credibility in favor of instead stating that I can still go." Ivy remarked.

"That would be splendid actually. Preferably without getting caught this time or bullied by meager earthly creatures." The butler drawled. Ciel in the meantime seemed to be in deep thought.

"Hey! Those snakes were venomous and being half human I would be of no use lying down for hours in pain God knows where, waiting for the poison to fade from my system."

"Hush both of you. Hmm…we don't need to sneak into that place for long. On top of that, now might be the only time when all the tents are vacant. Ivy and I have time." He was planning on snooping without Sebastian. "The tough part is just the venomous snakes. According to the program, your debut will end at 7:50 and the encore is at 8:00. You'll catch all the snakes in five minutes from now, then appear in the show. Finish your debut, go back and release the snakes before you return for the encore. I'll investigate the rest. Let's go."

"Yes sir." They followed the boy swiftly.

…..

"This is the last of them isn't it?" Ciel murmured rhetorically. "You go straight to the show tent. You will be suspected if you are tardy. As for Ivy, she goes with me." Swift and direct judgement. Ivy liked it quite a bit. Ciel may have been small but he did his business like a real man. A born leader. Thus she hopped to his side without hesitation. Sebastian nodded.

"Certainly, sir. I will be back at once." With that the demon gracefully vanished from the tent without a trace. Ciel looked down at the kitten beside him.

"We will cover more ground if we split up. You explore another likely tent and I will do another." It was curt and quick as he began to survey and hurried into one of the many large private tents. Ivy began to look around before murmuring a quick.

"I'm on it." Upon entering one of the tents Ivy noted many frilly costumes with white lace and flowers. This must have been 'Doll's' tent. She was hardly ever anywhere to be seen, so that made it strange for Ivy to note that the bed and several other belongings appeared as though they were hardly ever handled or touched. Like nobody has used this place in a while. Except for the rather messy wardrobe.

Soundlessly she moved for the trunk that seemed to have been ransacked a while ago before being abandoned. Other personal items were left behind. She felt a chill from where Sebastian's presence loomed a distance away. It made the fur on her tail and neck stand up. Something had just upset him it seemed. It did not seem like there was anything important…except for what seemed like a family photo.

Her eyes surveyed the image of an old plump man with short waved hair and a mustache with circle lens glasses. He was surrounded by children and adolescents that she immediately recognized as younger versions of the first tier class…except for Snake and behind them all was a workhouse.

She gave a curious hum. There was Joker, with shorter hair framing his face, unsmiling and not even looking at the camera. So unlike him. Dagger giving a thumbs up… the same as always, except small with a bandage over his nose and his hair was completely black. Wendy and Peter with shining eyes. Beast with a more slender frame and a single crutch like Dagger, her eyes were larger and doey back then but still apprehensive and bitter. Whatever the case this man was a suspect so she would have to take note of the symbol on his ring. The image of a horse with a leg raised and a lion like tail on top of a design that she was unfamiliar with engrained itself into her memory.

When she found nothing else she gave a sigh at her lousy luck and exited that tent to find another. Maybe Snake…or perhaps Joker's.

…..

Beast watched as Black and Suit swung from the trapeze…back and forth…and the performing still hadn't begun. Black reached forward and Suit would just keep his arms folded and lean back stubbornly. Their mouths were moving as if in conversation. Maybe they were planning something with a little more flare to it? She frowned from where she leaned against a wooden beam slightly.

"What are they up to?" She pushed off of it with her foot to get a better look. Unfortunately…'pwip!'. Oops. "Ack! My string tie." The string on her leather black corset had snagged itself on a stray nail in the beam and was snapped. She quickly grabbed onto the front of it before it could fall off and flash anybody. Damn having such a huge bust, it really got in the way sometimes. Dagger obnoxiously jumped in front of her blocking the view of the non existant peepers. Idiot.

"WOAH YA'LL! AINT NO LOOKING!" He shouted threateningly. She rolled her eyes forgetting all about Suit and Black for the moment. Doll and Snake just handed her a small blanket to cover up.

"It looks like you gotta go change." Doll stated. Beast just gave another roll of her eyes.

"Don't make a big deal about-"

"There's still time 'till the encore so please go change!" Dagger pushed. Seeing as Joker seemed to agree she gave a resigned sigh and began to walk away.

"I guess I've gotta." She agreed. The sharp ears of a certain demon perked up at these words.

"Oh no." He muttered to himself. This show was not at the top of his priorites. His priorties were currently running around those private tents searching for information. Even if Miss Ivy were discovered she would still not at all be suspected due to her flawless alibi of being just a little kitten. However, he would have to make quick work of this troublesome reapor and make it back on time, before the _young master _was discovered.

…..

Nothing in Snakes tent what so ever. The damn thing was completely empty practically. Very few belongings besides a bed and some clothes. He had no photographs at all either. She moved to check the next tent only to get a glance of Ciel already in there. By the sight of the racy leather outfits she noted that it could only be Beast's tent. Just as she turned to move however, she felt a vibe and looked sharply in its direction. Beast. Crrrraaaaap! It just had to be bloody Beast!

Another spike from Sebastian's presence further indicated the aggravated situation they must have been in. The sound of the crowd gasping was loud enough to distract Beast momentarily just enough for her to bolt inside without being seen. "_Ciel!_" She whispered harshly. Ciel looked over his shoulder at her puzzled, holding a picture frame in his hand.

"Ivy…what-" They began to whisper back and forth harshly.

"_Shhhh! Beast is coming!" _

"_What! Damn it! What do I do now? Distract her!"_

"_I'll do my best but you better figure another way out quick! She needs to change fast it seems." _

"_Just go!"_

"_I'm going! I'm going!" _

She ran but her footsteps were too close, whether she caught her attention or not she would just carry her inside. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! That instant however, a black blur snatched her by the collar and next thing she knew she was cramped into a clothing trunk between a heavy demon and an allergic Earl. He nearly sneezed and Sebastian clamped a large hand over his mouth, leaving only a watering blue eye visible. What a horrible plan. Lets hide in the trunk where she keeps her clothes…the ones she is currently in need of. Under the bed would have been much better.

Her heavy footsteps could be heard as she entered. _"Corset, get it, get it!" _Ciel's voice was muffled but Ivy had been thinking the same thing so she knew what he meant. It was a makeshift plan to just hope that she would not notice but it was their only option. They scuffled as silently as possible in search for one of the leather articles.

"_Ow, my tail!" _

"Aw, and I liked this one." The circus performer whined to herself. Finally they found one and pushed it through the crack of the opening between the lid and the rest of the case. To the trio's utter relief she simply pulled it out the rest of the way without a single qualm. They were lucky she was not observant. Ivy knew that had it been her or her mother, she would have noticed. There was the rustling of fabric and the sound of retreating footsteps before finally, total silence.

Ivy let out a breath she was not aware she had been holding and Ciel did the same, though he looked more annoyed than anything else. Sebastian let out a breath and slowly opened the lid, taking a look around.

"We made it just in the nick of time." He remarked, removing his hand from his young master's mouth and nose. Ciel wiggled to get out. After a moment of silence Ivy slumped and began to giggle, and then cackle. Ciel just stared at her as if discovering an alien. Eyeing his expression she calmed down to explain.

"It's nothing…just. Well if we had been caught you two would have been accused of b-being…_peeping toms_. HAHAHAHA!" And she was immediately laughing again. "…and you would have had to go along with it too and then your asses would have been kicked to high heaven!" Tears were escaping by now. The boy glared at her.

"You were with us too."

"I'm just a cat however, stuck with two perverted masters hahaha!"

"Shut up, Ivy. Are there any tents left?"

"Just Joker's." She stated with a sudden all business tone. Bi-polar much? He sweat dropped. Sebastian seemed to care very little. There must have been some pretty aggravating, hyperactive demons with ADD, where he came from. Perhaps he was the only normal demon to exist. Then again it could only be the Asian lesser demons who behaved like that. They were known in folklore to be rather difficult to deal with, fickle, and easily bored. Forget it. It was not his problem. Nor was it his duty to try and understand her behavior.

"I'll get to that later. This however, is useful." He held up the picture of the original troup. Sebastian stooped to take a look.

"I see. So you found something in that photograph, young master?"

"Yes." Ivy and Ciel agreed simultaneously.

"Sebastian do you see anything?" The boy asked his trusty butler.

"You are right." He confirmed. "I have seen this same Hallmark as the one on this signet ring recently." The boy seemed puzzled by the declaration. Ah, so he hadn't noticed. He was only human after all. How could she have forgotten?

"Yes. The hallmark on this man's ring." She continued. "Its all we have to go on, since the name of the workhouse is blocked from view."

"Hallmark?" He questioned his servants. Sebastian pointed to it and he squinted. "You can even see things like that?"

"Of course we can." Ivy remarked.

"Yes. I am certain that this hallmark is the same as the one at the base of Miss Beast's prosthetic leg."

"You are still disgusting just so you know." She reminded him, heatedly. He didn't bother with a response aside from the quirk of his lip. He was working after all.

"The hallmark on the prosthetic leg, the workhouse...this man has my attention." Ciel stated, in thought once again. Sebastian yanked the albert on his vest and checked his pocket watch.

"Young master. Its almost time. This will be all for today." At the little master's lack of response, he prodded. "Young master?" The boy finally turned and took a look at the pocket watch for himself.

"There is still Joker's tent left. We're short on time, but we do have eight minutes." Snapping the watch shut he tossed it back to the devil. "You head back so that you don't draw suspicion. I will finished everything up for today. When the encore is over, return here ahead of the troupe members and release the snakes. Alright?" Ivy scurried along side him. Like hell he would finish up completely alone. Sebastian watched them go with a grin.

"Yes, my lord."

…..

Ivy stayed out to keep watch ahead of time, keeping the previous incident with Beast in mind. So here Ciel was inside of the ring leader's tent. He also had the same photograph as everybody else. He scrutinized it one final time. 'From how he's dressed it can only be concluded that he is from either the affluent class, or the aristocracy, and since he is taking a photograph with workhouse children…hm. Is he some sort of philanthropist?' The boy thought to himself.

His single visible eye looked up and by sheer luck, caught a glimpse of a white envelope poking out from between Joker's pillow and the feather mattress. Making his way over, he pulled it out and examined the crimson signet that sealed it. It was the same one Ivy and Sebastian had made apparent to him.

"A letter…?" He trailed off. On the bottom right corner was scrawled in black ink.

_**From Tom, The Piper's son**_

"The Piper's son." He murmured to himself absently. "Like Mother goose?" He opened the envelope making the paper crackle softly, and slipped out its contents with his usual ever present frown. Soon his expression changed entirely as he eyed the first lines of the document in his hands.

"This is…!"

**Ciel Phantomhive**

**Birth: 14****th****. December. 1874-…..**

'My name!' He thought frantically. He was in such a fervor that he did not hear Ivy signaling him to get out of the tent. 'Why? Why is my name in a place like this! Do not tell me my cover has been blown!'

"_Ciel! Snap out of it! What are you waiting for?" _She internally cursed before moving to get into the tent and was suddenly jumping back as a snake snapped at her. Damn it. He heard the sounds and cursed his luck.

'Drat! The troupe members are back!' His mind went a mile a minute as he fumbled to place the letter back into it's place. He scramble under one of the heavy flaps managing to get out, but was now hiding just around the corner from Joker himself and the ones they called Dagger, and Jumbo.

Ivy managed to fight past the angry snakes, cursing Sebastian's disturbing sense of humor and zoomed into the tent only to find it empty. Damn it! Where did Ciel go? The snakes were on the loose, he was not safe by himself! She felt for him and zeroed in on his presence before making a dash in his direction. Easily moving under the tent flap she appeared beside him. "There you are." He murmured.

"What are you going to do? I have to go and keep the snakes off of you." She warned.

"_They are loose already?" _He hissed.

"I'm afraid so. You can thank Sebastian later for his jack ass behavior." She stuck her nose in the air. "Damn it, they are getting close. Go on, I will buy you time. Please be wary for snakes." Ciel watched her leap from view and began to crawl cautiously behind the square wooden crates and rounded barrels.

'This is bad.' He thought. 'I have gone too far, I need to get back quickly to avoid discovery.' It was as if he had jinxed himself with those words because not a moment too soon after, he was frozen in his tracks by a voice.

"Hey."

He whipped around, breath stuck in his throat to see the face of the first tier troupe's tightrope walker…'Doll' they called her. "What're you doing here?" Her single visible eye stared at him stoically. Taller than him with a very slender frame. It looked like this investigation was done for. Before anything else could happen, she clamped a hand over his mouth leaning in. "_Don't. Move." _She hissed in a low voice, beads from her head dress tickled his face she was so close. Oddly familiar though he barely registered that through the race his keen mind made to get out of this mess.

Dagger's voice interrupted, making him stiffen.

"Hey, Doolll~!" She did not even blink at the address. At this the knive thrower could be heard coming just a little bit closer. Ciel gulped. "Doll, what are you doing?" His voice had become different…much more serious.

What was she planning to do? "SNAKE!" She called to her comrade. An ocean blue eye popped. Was he to be poisoned? Nobody would have been any the wiser honestly. After all it would simply be assumed that he went snooping about foolishly and the snakes had found him before the members.

Then suddenly she was off of him in a flurry of lace and flowers. A snake was gripped in her hand firmly, hissing and writhing. One stocking clad leg propped up on one of the crates as she faced her senior. The snake charmer appeard by his side curiously. "A venomous snake was slither about." With this, Dagger was sufficiently distracted.

"_WHA-!" _His skin crawled.

"Didn't I tell you not to let them loose outside?" Ciel was amazed. Still, he wouldn't reveal himself. What was going on? Dagger turned to Snake, rubbing his arms protectively.

"You'd better put 'em away in your room properly now!" He backed up her proclamation. Doll handed the reptile to the snake man and it slithered up his arm, hissing softly in his direction. He looked up at Doll impassively.

"I'm sorry for my carelessness that nearly sent you into the next world." He told her. Talking by himself without giving credit to any of his snakes for the first time Ciel had ever heard. He walked away, Dagger watching with a sweat drop before going his own way. The dainty, lithe circus girl remained silent for a moment before turning back to 'Smile's' hiding place. She grabbed his arm much to his surprise.

"This way." He moved along in surprise as he was led away. Weaving and maneuvering between tents and such. "Hurry." She urged pulling harder. "Don't touch that rope." The warning was thrown over the girl's shoulder as they crawled under a chord like rope that had little beads and trinkets hanging from it.

"The coast should be clear since we came so far." The girl peaked out from behind of the corners of the large tent they rested beside. Ciel blinked at the strange girl.

"Why did you help me?" He demanded. Now she just stared at him blankly. he noted that she must have been missing an eye as well as her right eye was never uncovered.

"You still don't get it? Its me." Who's 'me?'…her voice did sound familiar but…he honestly had no clue. She sighed and pulled off her big flowery head-dress. "Me!" Ciel's eyes popped in shock as he pointed a single finger. He hated feeling like such a buffoon.

"FRECKLES!" His tent mate just smiled brightly. Ciel could hardly believe this ridiculousness. He planned on lashing out at his useless servants later. Ivy was magically missing, and Sebastian thought it was funny to make things difficult for him. He blinked at Freckles…erm…Doll.

"You're a boy, and you wear that costume?"

"HOW RUDE!" She snapped. "I'm obviously a girl! Here." The young lady grabbed his wrist, making the boy choke in shock when she pressed his hand to her developing breast. Grinning at his bashful and terrified reaction she giggled and couldn't help but add to his discomfort. "Ya can take a peek downstairs next if you like." Her expression was maniacle and lecherous.

"No thank you!" The boy bellowed snatching his limb away as if he had just touched acid. Ugh, he was not feeling very well. The stress must have been getting to his immune system. He coughed.

"So…why were you in there anyways?" She asked changing the subject. They were interrupted by the mewling of a kitten staring up at him with intent green eyes. Ciel's eye twitched as he looked in Ivy's direction. Doll smiled and stooped to pet her. "Didn't Joker tell you about those venomous snakes?" She asked. He took a few moments to think before bursting forth with the only solution that came to mind.

"I'm sorry! I promise I did not steal anything this time though! Please don't boot me out of here!" Ivy's ears drooped and she gave a sniff of contempt, making Ciel glare down at her discreetly. Doll was dumbfounded.

"Wh- _today_? You mean you-…"

"Before I became a pageboy, I was actually living on the east end having to do all I could just to survive. I knew it was wrong but I couldn't help myself. The manor that I worked for previously found out about it. If I was driven out of here I'd have to live on the east end again." The silence after this was deafening and for a moment Ciel wondered if he had over done it. Ivy certainly seemed to disdain his act for whatever reason. But then…

"….So you really didn't take anything, eh?"

"No I didn't. I swear to God." Now Doll sighed.

"I guess I have no choice then…its okay. I owe you anyhow. I think everyone has some things about them that they don't want anyone to know….besides….I did something bad to you today…" She reminded him sadly and apologetically. Ciel thought back to the scar she'd seen over where the men bathed. The horrible brand. "So I wont tell anybody about this, but now we're even…so don't steal again no matter what!"

"Yes." He immediately agreed to the terms. There was an awkward silence and she stood with Ivy in her arms. Who was still sulking.

"Um…can I ask you something? Why does a first tier member like you share a tent with me?" He needed to eliminate the possibility that she may have been sent undercover to keep an eye on him because he may have been suspected.

"Ah. I'm just not a fan of private rooms. Staying with someone else helps me sleep better. I hope you don't mind sharing a tent with me now that you know I'm a first tier member." She looked at him apprehensively.

"Of course not." The boy immediately responded. As for her explanation. He would have to take her word for it since Sebastian was not here. A large smile took over the girls face at this. She placed the fluffy kitten into his arms completely ignorant about his allergies. He twitched and Ivy stiffened ready to leap away at the first sign of trouble for the boy's lungs. He was coughing an awful lot lately.

"Hehe. Neat. So we will keep what happened today a secret." She held out a hand for him to shake. Really Ciel was just impressed that with the manners around here she had not spat into her palm first. He expertly returned the smile and took her hand in his. His breath fogging up the cold air. A twinge inside of his gut that he thought long extinguished made his thoughts begin to turn, reminding himself of his belief system.

'Even though she says it, there is no proof that she wont tell anyone. Humans have no scruples about lying.' He thought to himself as he watched the girl vanish on her way back to the other circus members with a graceful hop over one of the bead decorated ropes. She turned back around with her face still shining brightly and waved to him. This act he returned flawlessly. Everything he did was well calculated. Ivy waited anxiously for her to dissapear as she hopped back onto the dirt ground. Ciel simply allowed her to do so and his smile turned into his usual dark and sinister expression.

"Humans have no scruples about lying." He repeated. "Myself included." Something instinctive twinged within Ivy that she did not particularly understand, but she seemed to know just what she wanted to say to him. To prove her worth.

"You seem to not have realized -Ciel Phantomhive- the difference between lies…and _deception_… they are different. One being a direct contradiction of the truth, the other being a distortion of truth…it is the way of the demons. They are not like humans and therefore do not out right _lie, _but make their living on telling convenient truths that work towards their purposes. Lies are not what you should worry about, young master. Just as those snakes were released while you and I were still on the prowl. You should worry about yourself, your orders, you words and actions must be calculated down to the last detail. I can help you play his game." She said calmly.

The different tone of her voice startled the boy ever so slightly. He only knew Sebastian to speak like this. 'The way of the demon she says.' He thought. Well he already had one demon to play with, he would not add her to the equation. She would not even be here long enough to become a proper pawn. "I don't need help to deal with Sebastian. I've done so perfectly on my own for years." Ivy bowed low.

'Have you?' She thought to herself. "I only want you to keep me in mind while I am still around. Without you…I have no hope, therefore I _can't _betray you anymore than Sebastian can-"

"Enough. You have been given my word and that is enough for you."

"Your word? You just told me that you have no scruples about lying. I am a useful piece -though not a permanent one- on your board. Wouldn't you like to use me to the best of my ability while you still have the chance?"

"You are the most preachy servant I have ever encountered." He walked away allowing her to follow. "Lecturing like some sort of mother or priest. If I were to think of you as a chess piece…certainly not a pawn, or a knight for that matter. A Preacher. A Bishop. That is fitting." He smirked and Ivy gave the slightest of grins.

"Your bishop will hold her tongue then."

The Earl of Phantomhive did not respond. He did not trust her anymore than he trusted anybody else. Still that did not mean he was going to let this incident with the snakes slide. "Useful indeed. Where were you all the time I was dealing with Freckles?" He demanded.

"I was watching you handle it on your own and I had to keep a whole bunch of other snakes out. Boohoo if I missed _one_. Anyway I tried to tip you off for a better excuse than _stealing _but because of your attitude you didn't listen. You could have just said that you were looking for me again." The boy twitched at the realization and face palmed.

…..

With a purr to announce herself, Ivy slipped into the tent where William and Sebastian had been lurking. Probably having a subliminal 'my-species-is-better-than-yours' verbal banter -cough cough _bitch fight _cough-. "Ah there you are, little one. I'm assuming you had fun being the one running around with the young master for change. Any progress?" He drawled as she patted over to climb up the bunk pole to the top mattress.

"Oh I began a crucial step or two." She stated cryptically in an off-handed sort of way. "You should have wagered on it." Never once did she breath a sound about the snakes. She was learning quickly how to avoid dealing with him. At this the tent flap was pushed open to reveal a sweating and out of breath Ciel Phantomhive. The demon turned to greet his contractor.

"Young master."

"You…" He glared. "You released the venomous snakes even though you knew I was still over there?" Sebastian eyes widened only slightly, not expecting him to question such a thing before taking it in stride. His gaze slid to the little neko curled up peacefully on a pillow knowingly. His dark eyes closed in a serene smile.

"Yes. You see earlier you gave an order to release the snakes as the first tier members returned. Is there a problem?" He seemed to be having a jolly good time watching Ciel's dark and enraged expression. "What ails you to make such a face?" Ivy scoffed, eyes still shut sleepily. He continued to explain.

"Do not worry so much, as long as the contract stands I will protect your life. However, if you make a mistake of your own accord you will possibly suffer a painful experience while alive. You knew that already though didn't you? Any game becomes boring when it lacks thrills. I assumed that the young master, who has an affinity for such games would feel the same." Ah Sebastian Michaelis with that silver tongue of his. So eloquent that it made Ivy sick. Sick…and strangely sated. As if determining something she needed to know.

The little earl didn't look so good but he smirked anyway. "It is in bad taste to play games that may make me throw up. Demon."

"It is an honor as always." Sebastian smiled harmlessly again with a hand over his chest. Ciel walked past him coughing a bit again. He always thought better when he paced.

"Well enough of that. I found an envelope with a parchment of paper in it that has my name printed on it in Joker's tent. From what I saw, they have my rank, my mansion's address, and a simple personal history. The sender is-…"

"You…" Will's voice interrupted the boy as garden clippers barely missed his foot earning a startled shout. Ivy's ears perked at this sound and she opened her eyes, now narrowed and glowing. Her warning hiss was paid no heed. If he touched Ciel it would give her an excuse to snatch his glasses and start a game of keep away. "..are encroaching on my property by three centimeters….just like a dog and his master…incapable of staying apart." He eyed the group with disgust. Ciel glared at him.

"Sebastian. Let's go outside." Ivy huffed in dissapointment. She crawled down the bed behind them to listen in.

"…So the sender's name was 'Tom the Piper's son'."

"The Piper's son?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow. Ciel shook his head.

"It is a character from Mother Goose. I do not know what it means. Also there was a hallmark of a horse in the sealing wax along with the initial 'K'."

"That has got to be the same one then." Ivy commented. The boy kept talking as his butler listened intently. Giving signs that he was following the train of thought with a grunt or a nod.

"Normally the seal is engraved with a symbol of motivation and the person's initials or family crest. In other words…Tom the Piper's son, is someone who holds a family crest with the prefix of a horse. People who have family crests displaying a horse are usually knights or other soldiers. -Cough-. It is not a rule, though it is basically impossible to get one without a rank of some stature. All of these crests are recorded by a heraldry. No matter how many records they have, I know that you are capable of finding it with this information alone." The boy was once again making it difficult for him but as usual this was his lot in the contract, thus he said not a word. Ivy watched them silently. "Children disappearing, a circus, Tom the Piper's son…and me. I wonder how all of these pieces are connected." His coughing was getting worse and worse.

Both creatures became concerned.

"Young master…"

"Ciel…" He ignored the both of them.

"Firstly I must return to the townhouse-HACK!" Abruptly he fell into a fit of violent loud coughs. They began to sound wet and wheezy. Primal instinct had Ivy realizing that he was drowning in his own fluids…suffocating. Fear spiked. From his mouth spewed a fountain of bile and undigested food, -that he failed to block with his hands- and he fell forward and sank to his knees. Ivy gave a shout.

"Young master…what's wrong?" Sebastian's tone was urgent now. He knelt to crouch beside the boy.

"He can't breath!" Ivy's voice cracked.

"Smile! What's wrong." Freckles came charging as soon as she noticed the boy's situation. "Hang on!"

…..

Ivy waited outside the medical tent, she wanted to go in with them badly but her presence would do him no good. Not with his allergies to think about. Her fur must have contributed to his condition and she could only hate herself for it. Damn it. She had heard everything. Athsma. The nasty cold he had picked up here had triggered an athsma attack. The flap of the tent lifted and Sebastian emerged. Her ears perked upward as she turned her head to look at him.

"It was my fault wasn't it. Perhaps if I had kept my distance just a bit his attack would not have been so bad." She murmured flatly. He made no response, just looked down at her.

"Well, well. Aren't you a piece of work little one." He finally smirked, confusing her. Mint green eyes blinked into his rusty colored ones. Something primal once again stirred within her and she shrank away with her ears back. He followed calmly.

"I don't-…what are you on about?" The halfbreed frowned with concern. Before she even realized what happened, his hand caught her by the scruff of her neck. The young lady panicked and struggled. She changed her form back to normal to put up a better fight, making him have to back her into a dark secluded spot between the tents against some crates. It did not hurt really but…there was no way she was relinquishing his grip. She never really could when he really wanted to keep her in his grasps. Her squirming in his arms was futile.

"You are a weapons prodigy among your kind, your stealth when properly managed surpasses my own, and you are quite fast…but I see now that, that is not what makes you dangerous." The demon noted. "Buried within your mind, mingling with your human emotion and compassion you have an opportunistic and cunning mind. I've never seen anybody manipulate my young master enough for him to display as much emotion as he did when he confronted me about those snakes. What did you tell him?…Better…what is your objective?" His eyes glowed and for a moment Ivy came to a chilling discovery about their puzzling color. It was close to rust…but not completely…it was like…dried blood. She shivered.

"I have no objective." Closing her eyes, she was relieved that her voice came out evenly. "You are wasting your time searching for one. I am merely securing my place at his side for now, humans have no scruples about lying so even if he gave me his word I would have to make him feel that I am of use." She explained. Sebastian looked unimpressed.

"So you manipulate his paranoid nature against me-"

"He is a child and he still makes mistakes. I care about him but if I must be underhanded in order to ensure my safety then I wont hesitate. He has you after all and I have nobody. Don't mistake me…I wont interfere with your precious contract, I never tried to turn him against you, if your contract were to be terminated then there would be no one to protect either of us from my clan." Her eyes hardened at this. "I just wish that he could trust me."

"I should hope that you don't. For your own sake, as charming and amusing as you are I would have to take pains to get rid of you if you ever jeopardized my contract with the young master. I have been quite generous to allow you to encroach on my territory…even though you _are_ beguiling and cute enough to make up for it." His thumb traced her jaw playfully as he smirked before dropping into a stoic expression. "Do not abuse it. It would really be a shame to destroy such a rare and interesting creature."

"You _wont _destroy me. Your precious aesthetics get in your way. As a butler to go against your master's word and tarnish his reputation in such a manner would be most unseemly would you not agree?" Now Sebastian laughed.

"Who is to say that anybody would find out?"

"Ciel _would_ find out, and I get the feeling that that is enough to stop you. Now let me go this instant."

"Excellent. You have proven me correct. You truly do have a deadly sense of manipulation and strategy. You are no simple pawn, you are a player like the young master." His hands began to wander just a little bit and Ivy felt like he might be sizing up her soul after comparing her to Ciel.

"Let GO-!" A white glove clamped over her mouth and she realized her mistake.

"Black?" Ivy froze and cursed herself. Joker himself. "What're you doing over there? Who is that?" Too late to change back now. The demon froze as well with an alarmed expression. Now what? Ivy really hated herself for what was about to happen. 'Eeeew.' She internally groaned, knowing that he was thinking the same thing. Still it was very jarring to suddenly feel herself lifted off the ground and her skirts pushed upwards. One of her legs was pulled around his waist expertly. Her face turned red at this and she was certain that she had blacked out twice within a split second. Joker got closer.

"Bla-WHOA THERE!" He swiftly turned his back and Sebastian feigned surprise over his shoulder. "Sorry! I mean you didn't seem the type to pick up customers- Why _here_? This ain't allowed…erm…we will talk about this when it's a lot less awkward." Ivy blinked at him over the butler's shoulder. At this he blushed and speed walked away. When he was gone Ivy's face distorted into a nastier glare than she'd ever had.

"YOU WENT TOO FAR ON PURPOSE YOU _STUPID. BASTARD!_"She threw a blur of enraged blows at him, kicking him away with her foot. He smirked with a snicker.

"Now, now. It was your own fault-"

"MY fault!" She screeched.

"If you had not been screaming like a child, we would not have had this problem." Well there was no come back to that. He gripped her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Would you have preffered me to kiss you instead?

The loud smack could be heard resonating throughout the camp however nobody bothered to check it out.

* * *

Author's Note: *Finally seated peacefully in a chair* Finally done. Nice and EXTRA LONG as promised. Not to spoil too much but next chappie includes a jealous Ivy. A puzzled butler. And an oblivious earl. Anyway about the dub. They made my Sebby sound so-..so-… _not_ like a sexy butler but more like Cadbury from Richie Rich only older…this makes me sad. They also made Grell sound not like himself. He went from creepy bozothe clown to a vulture with bronchitis…and since when does he call Sebastian Bassy and not Sebby? -_-'. Anyway please review. Anything else I had to say has been forgotten for the moment lol. Ciao! Omake coming out soon. (I may rewrite this cause I figured out a way to introduce Ivy without making her Ciel's sister. You are warned.)


	29. Omake

Author's Note: Omake first. Rewriting later lol. For the Holidays my friends. Basically in the Manga at the Circus Arc Queen Victoria implied in her letter to Ciel that Christmas had already passed sooooo….yeah. I thought I should make an Omake about how that went for the servants of Phantomhive. Especially Ivy. This should be a lot of fun. I hope you guys enjoy it. I'm really not sure what I'm gonna do here…so I guess I'll just wing it. .. Alrighty!…And so it begins…

Disclaimer: *Sipping hot chocolate in a cushy chair next to a fireplace with feet propped up* Well, now that all is well I suppose it is time to once again state that I do not own kuroshitsuji. It's a lot more easy being a political prisoner at the Phantomhive household than at Shinigami headquarters. Ciel knows how to be a host my friends. Now as you read I shall be working on the memoirs of my captivity under the Shinigami, and my miraculous escape. It was a most memorable experience after all. SORRY ABOUT THAT RON! *waving frantically at screen*

**Omake: That Christmas Maid**

Ivy's bedroom door was swung open to a chorus of rather untalented co-workers singing Christmas carols and she growled, pulling her plain but fresh smelling blankets over her head. What the hell were they doing? It was still _dark _out damn it. After returning from the inn and being attacked by a transvestite all within a week she was too tired to deal with all of this.

"DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY! FA LA LA LA LA. LA LA LA LA! TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY! FA LA LA LA LA. LA LA LA LA!" Finnian was sporting armfuls of wreaths, and large handfuls of holly that he had been tending to in the green house. Bard held jugs of cider and eggnog under his arms and a big smile on his face. Maylene had a tray of either burned or just pathetic looking fruit cakes in her hands. Ivy groaned.

"Come on, Ivy! Christmas eve! We've got decorating to do before the Middlefords arrive!" Bard sang out. The Middlefords? Well didn't Sebastian just think he was so hilarious not to mention this to her last night. He had plenty of time to mention it to her, especially since he insisted on following her to her room every night like a creepy bastard. Her eye twitched and she bit her pillow, small fist pounding the mattress in misery. The servants all stared at her oddly.

"What time is it?" Her voice was slightly muffled but understandable. It was strange that Sebastian would allow them to help in the Christmas decorating if guests were coming over.

"Ummm…..its kinda sorta…three thirty in the morning-DON'T KILL US!" Bard winced and was ready to run as she whipped forward to sit up with a hiss. "We are only trying to surprise Sebastian so that he can have the holiday off, we thought you would like to be a part of it! OW!" He protested when Ivy threw her shoe at him. That bastard of a butler didn't need a day off! Besides that was a horrible idea, he was probably already awake anyway and she would not get caught aiding and abetting their attempts at…er…'decorating'. How the hell had they even tried to make fruit cake without him being aware anyway?

"Request denied! I'm closing my eyes now and if I open them within the next three seconds and you are all still standing there I will unleash my wrath. Oh and while he kicks your asses for destroying the manor tell him that since he kept me _so_ well informed, I hope Ciel makes him enjoy sugar cookies to keep up appearances…in fact I may just make that suggestion to the Earl." They blinked in confusion at her statement.

"What?" Finnian frowned.

"He will understand what it means. Now leave. You are tempting fate." Really she would probably regret being so short with them later, but right now she was a tired demoness that had been rudely awakened. They then got down on their knees, making the neko sweat drop. What in hellfire? They were pleading now?

"Pleeeaaasseeee, Miss Ivy! Please. Please. Please!"

"Seriously Ivy! We need you. As in right now! As in life and death kind of need!"

"Just look at how horrible the fruit cake came out! You need to help us!"

Green eyes now studied them suspiciously. "There is more to the situation here than you trying to surprise Sebastian isn't there?" The silence told her all that she needed to know. "Oh God. He is going to kill you already and the sun is not even out yet! What have you demolished? He probably already knows!" She swung her legs over the edge of her bed, ignoring the icy coldness of the floor against the bottoms of her feet.

"Well he probably _would_ have under any other circumstances, but he and the young master just left to go gift shopping for the Marquis and his scary wife at the last minute…they surprised them with a note, that is when we made our move. The Middlefords are coming to spend Christmas Eve and Morning with us. The young master really-…I just think he invited Lady Elizabeth and then her family just up and invited themselves." Now Ivy face palmed before standing up.

"I suppose I have no choice then. Why didn't you wake me before and ask me if this was a good idea? Because it wasn't you know. It was a terrible idea, and now we are going to be busier than ever and have practically no energy to entertain our guests because of it." They did not seem to hear any of her scolding, instead throwing themselves at her feet and hugging her legs in their gratitude. Their exclamations of praise and thanks did nothing to ease her. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Ugh. Too. Bleeding. Early. Why is it that every time something was done 'for Sebastian' it seemed to always require that a piece of her happiness be shredded. "I need to get dressed. Out." The annoyed gleam in her eye was not completely toward them but it still scared them enough to scramble out at her tone.

With a huff she snatched open her simple rectangular night stand and roughly did the same to her neatly folded uniform. She began to mutter obscenities to herself. Rather colorful ones too. Ones that even merged into other languages. Were holidays not supposed to be fun? Unbuttoning the three buttons on her collar, she noted that she probably had no time to wash up. With another annoyed huff she reached down and lifted the white nightgown over her head.

After struggling with her petticoats she grabbed her daily attire. Hurriedly she threw her uniform over her bodice and began to hastily button up the back and tie the large bow of her apron. Rushing into your clothes was never fun. Especially for a woman in England. She was still adjusting her slightly twisted outfit as she sprinted down the hall like a gazelle. Feeling for their presences, there was no way around it, the mess had to be in the kitchen so that was where she was headed.

She breezed into the kitchen, bursting the doors open. The three servants jumped in shock. "Dear G-…look at this place! Ugh." At first glance the whole place seemed completely charred and caked with the batter of many attempts at baking. It was a big relief to see that the stove was perfectly fine for the most part and needed no serious repairing. "Alright. A plan. We need a plan." She placed her knuckled thoughtfully to her mouth. Running a hand over one of the walls she sighed miserably.

Closing her eyes for a moment she turned to the others, placing on the calm smiling mask of a maid. "Alright. Let's get to it. Finnian since you are so strong I want you to carry as many buckets of water in here as you can and Bard can help you place them on the stove to heat them up. Maylene and I will be scraping as much failed batter from the walls as we can in the meantime." They saluted her and hurried off. "Go with him, Bard. Make sure _you_ grab the soap and cleaning supplies on the way!" She called after him. "No funny business in between! I don't even want you stopping to light your cigarette! If Sebastian gets on my case about one thing today I will eat your first born child!"

And so the day had begun…

…..

"I think it was very sensible of Sebastian NOT to use mistletoe, as it is a silly tradition meant to allow people to take advantage of others without any sort of precaution." Ivy declared. Anyway the very serious young Phantomhive master had probably ordered mistletoe left out on purpose. The other servants stared at her in shock that she would hold such a view. Did she have no Christmas spirit? Bard voiced this right away.

"Hey, hey! Whoa! Mistletoe is a long standing Christmas tradition to have as a decoration! We _have_ to go picking mistletoe Ivy! Have you no Christmas spirit?" He bellowed. Ivy stared at him with flat unimpressed eyes, arms folded.

"I fail to see how 'Peace on Earth' and 'Good will towards men' has anything to do with hanging a plant from…where ever, and claiming that it somehow gives anybody lee way to kiss somebody else without any precaution. Its useless, its annoying, and quite frankly it would make no sense to have it here of all places. Unless of course you have some hidden agenda and have somebody you plan on kissing…Bard." With her point put across she stuck her nose in the air. The head chef twitched and blanched, thinking about it for the first time. Still he was relentless.

"Good point, but you don't have to follow every aspect of the tradition! It still looks nice, and you gotta admit, it would be pretty adorable to see the young master get his first kiss from Lady Elizabeth." They all giggled except for Ivy who was still feeling winded from the kitchen cleaning rush. Bard then nudged Finni in the shoulder with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Say Ivy….are you maybe just scared of having mistletoe hanging around for some reason? Some _specific _reason?" He teased. The half breed blinked at him suspiciously.

"I will not dignify your statement by even attempting to imagine what you could have possibly meant by saying that, Bard." She said evenly and curtly, straightening out her apron. There was nothing for her to worry about so if he was going to say something stupid she would rather not hear it and risk being compelled to harm him for any of his delusions. The self-proclaimed chef just snickered.

"Bard, you shouldn't get on Ivy's case. There's no need to embarrass her, there isn't." Maylene scolded.

"What? I'm just trying to see if I can help her get over some denied fears she might have. You want to know what I think?"

"As a matter of fact I don't." The neko pushed past him. Maylene tried not to snicker at Ivy's very blunt thwart of his attempt at conversation. The only way to get her to pay attention was to just come out say it, it seemed.

"I think she's just scared that she'll have to kiss Sebastian and that she'll like it!" He announced loudly. The half neko stopped in her tracks, eye twitching. Really. Bard. He was SUCH a RETARD! Maylene blushed and clasped her hands awkwardly. For a few seconds it seemed that Ivy was not going to ever move. "Am I right? I'm right aren't I?" The chef grinned manically.

'NO, YOU GREAT BUFFOONISH IGNORANT SLANDERING SON OF A BITCH! YOU ARE NOT RIGHT!' She ranted mentally before rearing on him with a dark and menacing aura. Well…apparently the name Sebastian was a red button. Bard shrank from the shining evil in her eyes. "_Well…would you like to know what _I _think, Bard?" _Her small frame suddenly seemed to tower over them. Finnian and Maylene ducked behind Bard. A fist gripped the white fabric of his uniform. _"I think you just secretly plan on getting yourself murdered before Holiday's end…" _She growled making him gulp. Abruptly released him and he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"Anyway. Neither I nor Sebastian would ever do anything so absurd because frankly A.) a plant is a stupid reason to kiss anybody. B.) I would rather cut my lips off with a rusty spoon, and C.) I think the only way that Sebastian would want to kiss _anyone_ was if they wore a mirror over their face." Ivy declared, suddenly back to being normal and breezy as if nothing had ever happened. The three servants could have sworn that they imagined it. He snapped out of it. Was she serious? Wow.

"What if they had pointy ears, and a fluffy tail, and purred?" He inquired, knowing just how weird Sebastian was about cats. He grinned, purposely leaving out the obvious fact that she happened to fit the criteria.

"Bard, I think it is a little more complicated for people than it is for ani-….THAT'S NOT FUNNY YOU ASS!" She protested when she finally understood that statement. The others smothered their snickers under their hands.

"Puh-leeeasse, Ivy you are so clueless that it would not be a shock to me if he's already tried, and you just completely missed it." He stated far too confidently for the neko girl's liking. She blushed. Far too embarrassed by the shock to react properly to the statement. Tanaka sipped his tea in the background casually as usual, on his head was a classic Father Christmas hat.

"Ho. Ho. Ho." He chortled with a jolly demeanor.

"YOU TOO?" She glared at him feeling very betrayed. Noting everybody's expressions Ivy massaged her temples. "Have you nothing better to think about? Chores? Life? Other people's feelings?…No? You all suck." With that she stormed off.

…..

Gift shopping for Lady Elizabeth was simple enough and it had been done quite a while ago. Now though, to suddenly go shopping for the whole Middleford family was going to be quite a challenge. To say that the thirteen year old Earl was in a terrible mood would be a severe understatement. Sebastian had taken the brunt of it for most of the trip. Currently he was carrying several options, and he was getting rather annoyed. Not that anything would have been too heavy for him. Still it was quite humiliating.

Finally however, the young master seemed to have made up his mind. Boxes in hand they were headed back home, but of course when the day seemed to be getting better something else would happen.

"SEEEBBYYYYYYYYYY-CHAAANNN!" The familiar face of a certain shinigami popped out amongst a nearby horde of stuffed animals. On his head was a pair of reindeer antlers that had mistletoe hanging from each pointed protrusion. The demon thrust a pile of packages between himself and his unwanted admirer as the death god leapt out at him with his lips puckered. Oh hell, had he really been so evil in his long existence that _he_ was the demon who deserved this out of all the others? He made sure to hit nuisance in the face with a particularly heavy one. Ciel face palmed as Grell continued to make muffled exclamations from behind the boxes.

"Sebastian. Take care of…_this_. I will be waiting in the hansom." He muttered.

"Yes, my lord." The butler smiled graciously. The boy just grunted in reply before walking off, not wanting to deal with the flamboyant red-head. The smile fell from the demon's face and went back into a non-chalant poker face. He backed away from Grell with an oily greeting already on the tip of his tongue.

"Mister Grell. How unexpected. Was there something you needed? I believed that you were still under suspension." His voice was smooth and unruffled. The addressed ex-butler's face lit up clasping his hands happily.

"Suspension means, that I am not allowed to be entrusted with any assignments! Thus I am free to celebrate the holidays!" He linked his arms around one of Sebastian's. "I came to see you! Glad to see you're alone today." Oh joy.

"Forgive me if I can not contain my utter elation." The sarcasm was unmistakable. The butler curtly unhooked him arm from his. Leaving Grell blinking slightly.

"You see I am quite occupied right now Mister Sutcliffe-"

"Come now Sebby-chan." He grabbed onto the other one, and leaned imploringly on his shoulder. "I'm aware that your bratty contractor keeps you on a tight schedule -all to himself- that's why I decided-"

This time when Sebastian took his arm away the shinigami nearly fell flat on his face. "I'm in no mood to beat you to a pulp, and have no time -or desire- to put up with your tasteless advances." _Or explain your distasteful presence to the Marchioness for that matter._ "I must load up the hansom and prepare the manor for our guests if you don't mind. I am certain the servants are restless and goodness knows I do not wish for them to conjure up their usual mischief." At this Grell perked up.

"Oooh. A gathering? Is it some sort of Christmas party?"

"Certainly not. The young master has an aversion to crowds of any sort. Excuse me, please go home Grell Sutcliffe. I'm on quite a schedule and Miss Ivy is surely going to throw quite a fit at being left to manage the other servants on her own without a single word. I would hate to miss it." Sebastian felt no need to explain the situation of their guests to the red clad nuisance. He just continued to walk. Yellow-Green eyes darkened in thought slightly before recalling the little maid.

"…Oh. Oh! The plain one! I almost forgot she existed." The statement caught something of the demon's attention. Miss Ivy plain? Well…he himself had certainly thought so when he had first looked at her. Yet he was suddenly aware that he did not think so anymore…and was not sure what had changed or _when_ exactly it had changed. Granted he had never thought her at all homely or unpleasant to look at in the first place, however…now he saw that he had come to regard her as quite lovely. Pleasant to watch. Especially when one took the time to watch her in her natural state, unaware of any observation. Soothing. No. Miss Ivy was not plain. He came to the conclusion that she had in fact always been beautiful…she had just hidden it from him very well at first glance. He began to tune into Grell's drabbling once again.

"…I had meant to ask why the sudden job opening but ah- I'm so scatterbrained lately. She already gets to spend so much time with you as it is. When will it be MY turn?" He commented, with the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically.

_Never as long as I live._ "What makes you think I would disclose information on my young master's decisions as to how his manor is run?" If Grell did not go away soon, he would have to use force. Perhaps lock him in a nearby dumpster for a spell.

"Well I just thought that if you let her stay she must have _some _merit besides changing into a furry animal and mediocre hand to hand combat." The shinigami sounded rather puzzled. Sebastian now looked at him with the slightest of frowns.

"You speak ill of my skills to call her skills in combat mediocre, as I have honed her styles myself. Also you by-pass the fact that the last time you encountered her she did quite a number on you." He told him dryly. "I had to quote 'rescue' you." At this Grell Sutcliffe's pride received a sharp pinch and he gave a start.

"Hey! That was because I thought she was human and underestimated her because of it! If I can take you on I can take her too!" He pouted. The demon chuckled.

"You can take me? Strange I do not ever recall that happening. Without that chainsaw you're nothing but a harmless milksop compared to me. As for Miss Ivy, it is your own fault for underestimating an opponent…she survives on her wit…you just happened to fall prey to it." This was taking far too long. He surveyed the area silently for a dumpster. The gender confused death god gave a loud huff now.

"You're so cruel, Sebby-chan." He jutted out his bottom lip. Once again he was hugging him, this time causing the packages to fall chaotically. "Oh, but that is what I love about you. Speaking of which, you've caught me under the mistletoe, what are you going do about it?" The wink he gave made the butler shudder. In an instant Grell was not smiling anymore, eyes popping as Sebastian brought the heel of his shoe down onto his foot with a crunch. Pain. He was then hit in the solar plexus by the heel of Sebastian's hand, cutting off his air supply temporarily. The demon used the opportunity to then throw him into a trash can, and dust off his hands.

"There now. All is well that ends well." Now he just had to tackle the day ahead of him. He straightened his lapels, gathering up the discarded boxes.

….

My, my, _my. _This truly made up for a horrible day of last minute Christmas shopping. Ivy was ranting and raving while she baked cookies. Viciously pounding the dough -clearly beating him in effigy- she fumed. As usual she paid no attention to the way that Sebastian stared. He always did creepy things anyway according to her.

"…-AND REALLY IT WAS NEWS TO ME THAT THE MIDDLEFORDS WERE COMING TODAY AT ALL NEVER MIND FOR TWO DAYS! THANK YOU FOR THAT YOU BLOOD SUCKING, SELFISH, SADISTIC, SON OF AN IMP! I HOPE YOUR POOR ABUSED STARVING STOMACH DEVOURS YOU FROM THE INSIDE OUT BEFORE YOU CAN GET TO CIEL'S SOUL! AAAAARRGH!" Sebastian was currently beaming as Ivy proceeded to yell her lungs hoarse at him in the kitchen. Little fists shaking at her sides, now that she was clutching the rolling pin. Her breathing was ragged with a pinkish hue dusting her cheeks. With an angry snarl she shoved the trays into the oven.

"You mustn't raise your voice so high, Miss Ivy. The guests might hear you." She twitched as he ruffled her hair, and just walked around her. "Are you feeling more refreshed now?" At this she whirled around and lunged at him. He stoically dodged and blocked the flurry of attacks, only barely dodging the swing of an unexpected high kick aimed for his face. Before she could draw her leg back he caught her ankle and pushed her backward, his grip on her leg the only thing keeping her from falling. He then attempted to pull her back up like a yo-yo. However she quickly dug her claws into the nearby window sill.

She moved to attack with her other leg but instead of kicking at him as he had expected she twisted herself so that her leg was wrapped around his elbow, ready to snap it. Until he released her other leg and she nearly fell but swung it over, making him back bend to avoid it hitting him in the temple. He smirked.

"Marvelous, Miss Ivy." The statement made her pounce at him a second time. With a serene expression he caught her wrists and spun her around, pinning her arms across one another against her chest. She was pulled against him to cease her struggles, making her flinch at the feel of a noticeably muscled torso. This only made her angrier and she flailed about trying to get him off. One hand then held her arms in place, while the other moved up to rub her ears.

"Shhh." He hushed. "Calm down." She relaxed in his grasp like rubber, leaning back unconsciously. "You are still such an angry little thing. Unfortunately for you, that also makes you quite easy to manipulate in a fight." He murmured resting his chin on her shoulder with a sigh. "Will I have to teach you that the hard way before you actually attempt to put an effort into correcting it? I assure you, I can be very…._stern._" His breath assaulted her ear and her awareness spiked. The neko girl kicked against the island, sending them both backward and into the window, the glass peins swung open from the force letting in gusts of frigid winter air. In order to stop from falling out he had to grab the window frame thus releasing her and allowing her to kick away from him and land on the other side of the island. He blinked in surprise briefly before grinning once again.

"Mediocre indeed." He murmured softly to himself with a scoff.

"Excuse me?" She demanded sharply.

"Nothing at all."

Ivy only rolled her eyes, pulling out another tray. "All you think about is yourself." She muttered.

"You did say yourself that I was an unfeeling beast. Why should such a thing surprise you?" He responded. Ivy paused and looked at him abruptly. What was that supposed to mean? Face pulling into a frown she looked away, dusting flour off of her hands. Suddenly from the kitchen entrance Bard appeared snickering madly with a piece of mistletoe on a fishing line, hovering it over Sebastian's head. Ivy twitched, feeling her lungs constrict. He was going to die and she let him know that with her hellish glare. Before the demon could notice, she snatched it from the line making him turn curiously at the sound. Before he could see what was in her hand she shoved it in her mouth to hide it as if it had never been there. She threw a knife at Bard and he bolted. Sebastian watched Bard run away with a scoff, giving her an opportunity to take it out and stuff it into her apron.

"…What precisely was that little outburst about?" He asked, turning back to face her.

"Nothing at all. Bard was simply being an imbecile as usual. Anyway no, such a thing does not surprise me. I do wish stating it would make you go away however." She snarled.

"Very well. Then I will leave." He took a bow. Ivy sputtered. Wait what? She was not quite sure how to respond.

"You are leaving all of this work to me?" The young maid demanded, exasperated. He just grinned at her secretively.

"I trust you, Miss Ivy. Not to worry." What an insufferable creature he was. Still she had to do as her supervisor assigned if she was to prove her worth.

"Where are you going?" She asked softly.

"Planning the schedule. Tomorrow's activities should be quite interesting to observe." He stated.

"What do you mean? Hey! Do not walk away from me on that!" She clutched his arm stubbornly. He smirked to himself, pausing to look over his shoulder at her. Immediately the little halfling released him, cheeks darkening ever so slightly. She clasped her hands behind her back. "Um…I mean to ask what exactly is going on tomorrow since you always keep me so well informed." Clearly she was still a bit grumpy, so the sarcasm in her voice was clear. Curtly he turned to face her with that pasted smile that she despised so much.

"Lady Elizabeth and her brother the future Marquis Edward both insisted adamantly on going ice skating. The young master never cares for such things but agreed after much cajoling from his fiancée. So, afterwards I will have to plan other means for the children's entertainment after such merriment. Since you seem to be having no trouble here, I believe I have time to get some things done." He informed. One thing from this lengthy explanation stuck itself in Ivy's head…ice skating. A cringe.

"…Ice…skating." Her ears drooped. The butler raised an eyebrow the way he usually did when he puzzled, or had any sort of inquiry.

"Is there a problem?"

Immediately she went on the defensive. "Not at all." She lied. "Do you not have things to get done, Mister Michaelis?" Waving him off and turning her back to him, she hid her agitated expression with some bangs, biting her bottom lip. Green eyes suddenly found the texture of the marble counter tops _very _fascinating.

"Certainly, Miss Ivy." He exited with a frown, clearly not convinced.

Ivy did not particularly care about where they all went for Christmas but…this particular choice was a problem for her.

…"Come on, Ivy…it is not so dreadful, you'll be fine." She pep talked herself. There were two things in the world that Ivy had never learned to do and the first one…well "…So who cares if you can't skate…it is not a big deal." After a moment of silence she slumped over the counter. "Oh who am I kidding. I'm going to feel like such a fool tomorrow." She groaned into her arms. For a human perhaps it was not a big deal…but for Ivy as a half demon…she felt that it was unthinkable that she'd never managed to teach herself. To be fair she had not exactly found any time to do such a thing but…still. In her distress, she was far too distracted to sense the foreign presence hovering over the window and just decided to take it out by getting revenge on Bard.

…..

Ivy had never seen a frozen lake up close before. Ice skating rings she had seen in passing but it certainly was not the same thing. She stood at the edge of the hard slippery surface curiously tilting her head as she looked down at it. So much pure solid ice. It sparkled beautifully in the sunlight. The whool of her knitted white cap rubbed uncomfortably against her ears as they moved about picking up sounds and the like from their hiding place. With a frown she pulled off her matching off white mittens and bent down to touch it…only to find that she did not like it in the slightest. It was not as though she had not expected it to be frigid, it was ice after all…but that did not make it feel any better. She gave a soft sigh, fogging up the air.

There were a few people from town and some folks that she recognized also enjoying the frozen lake. The laughter of the children met her ears and she watched Lizzie pull Ciel around the ring, absolutely high on life. She was such a sweet girl with noble intentions though she often came across as noisy and pushy. Honestly she just wanted to make Ciel happy again. The neko found it rather heart breaking. The obvious unconditional love that the little girl had for her fiancee. If only she knew.

Her senses suddenly prickled and she narrowed her eyes. She remembered this presence from somewhere. Mint colored eyes surveyed the area for Sebastian but it seemed that he must have been off running some sort of quick errand that she was unaware of. Once again her thought process was interrupted as an unwelcome chorus came her way. It started in low…then it started to grow.

"Miiiiiissss IIIvyyyyyyyyy!" Bard, Finnian, and Maylene careened in her direction. All quite graceful on the ice…she stared at them in envy but smiled anyway. Even they looked graceful and light on the ice. One would never assume that they could be so ridiculously incompetant at their jobs. They stopped just in front of her, shavings of ice shooting forward from under their toe picks. Their breaths came out in foggy puffs as they smiled brightly at her. She nodded to them in acknowledgement.

"Hello, you three. Having fun?" The neko replaced the gloves on her hands and folded her arms.

"This is great!" Finnian cheered. "We hardly ever do things like this!" His fist raised in the air. Maylene clasped her hands and nodded happily in agreement.

"It is a rare opportunity, it is!" She cheered.

"Exactly!" Bard chimed in. "That is why you should be taking advantage of it too Ivy! Why aren't you skating too?" He demanded. Ugh. Ivy had seen this coming the moment they started calling out to her. With a scoff she folded her arms and smiled at them calmly.

"I don't feel up for it. I've never been very keen on skating." She tried to weasle her way out of the scenario. Bard however, was having none of it. Ivy decided that she really hated that pushy personality of his.

"Oh come on! Everyone loves ice skating! Besides I saw that jealous mope of yours watching everybody out there. Here!" Out of nowhere, he lifted a pair of skates, holding them out for her to take. What the hell? The halfling sweat dropped. Taking a step back she tried her best to politely refuse, shaking her head. He blinked at her. "What? Too small? Hey I can just go ask Sebastian to get you a decent pai-"

"NO! NO! LEAVE HIM OUT OF IT!" They stared at her, startled by her reaction. She cleared her throat and folded her arms, trying to calm herself. "I'd rather you didn't ask him for anything." Sebastian would easily figure it out. Her problem. He would decipher it and likely find it all the more of a reason to think low of her. After a moment of silence Bard -of course-spoke up again. Annoying insect.

"But I'm sure h-"

"WE ARE NO LONGER DISCUSSING HIM NOW, BARD! Unless of course you want me to hang you upside down from the balcony and give you the powdered doughnut treatment again." The small -seemingly harmless- young woman gripped his collar and pulled him to her level. Terrifying him. Finnian had scrambled a few steps away by now.

"Alright, alright! CUT IT OUT! You're giving me the creeps!" He lifted his hands in appeal. Tanaka appeared holding a thermos of hot cocoa. Ivy dropped Bard and stuck her nose in the air. Maylene watched, shaking and adjusting her glasses. Suddenly Tanaka was at his dutiful normal state. Apparently, he must have had something important to say.

"Miss Ivy." He addressed the dark haired maid warmly, she blinked at him. "Am I to guess that you are nervous because you do not know how to skate?" Damn it! Damn old people and their smartness! Ivy suddenly felt the need to go dig herself a deep hole that reached all the way to China…and stay there forever. The eyes of the three other servants felt like they were burning her.

"That's it isn't it?" Bard blinked. The defeated glare was enough of a confirmation. He began to laugh.

"It isn't funny!"

"No! No! Wait a minute! Its just that its so cute that, that is what you were so worried about! It all makes sense now! Hahaha. Awww." They were not laughing at her…they thought she was cute. Oh Lord. That was even worse. EVERYBODY kept calling her cute. It was aggravating. "It's okay, Ivy!" He ruffled her hair and she pushed away his arm with a growl. The other two surrounded her in a similar manner. They all exchanged glances.

"…WE CAN TEACH YOU!" They chorused. The spike of fear that was sent through the half neko's body alarmed her severely.

"I don't think that is the best plan you've had, guys." She took a few steps back and they followed.

"Nonsense! This will be fun!"

"Wait…" Maylene seemed to have realized the disaster this idea could turn out to be. "I think Miss Ivy is right…maybe we should ask Mister Seba-"

"You know what? It's okay! I'm feeling much better about plan A now." Ivy interrupted sharply, snatching the pair of skates. Bard and Finnian lit up in excitement. Tanaka smiled proudly at her, and Maylene watched her in puzzlement as she suddenly very willingly crouched and laced the skates up on her feet.

"Great! We don't need that stuffy bastard! We've lived our lives without him before. Besides! I've got a _**great **_idea!" At this…Ivy swore that whoever ran the universe out there…hated her with a burning passion that rivaled all of hell and beyond. She groaned.

….

Sebastian returned with the hot chocolate that the young master had requested from him. His rusty colored eyes caught sight of the servants of Phantomhive huddled on the ice. Playing some sort of game perhaps? It looked rather awkward though…before he could go investigate however…several scissors were sent flying at him, embedding themselves in a few trees as he barely avoided them. He rolled his eyes.

"I'M BAAAAAAACK~!" ….and somewhere…the demon swore a baby kitten had just dropped dead out there. Sebastian grinded his teeth. Grell Sutcliffe was _relentless. _After this contract was over…he was going to kill that reapor. Slowly. He had even nearly made him spill the young master's hot chocolate. How on earth did he believe that this ridiculousness would endear him to him? "That wasn't nice, what you did back there Sebby-chan~." He zoomed into the branches of a tree. Red eyes narrowed up at him. He grinned giddily. "You started it by dumping me in a trash can, if it means a hot death match between us though, I'll forgive you."

"You were in my way last time. I'd rather not concern myself with you at the moment, especially since I am currently carrying out orders." Sebastian murmured pulling the scissors from were they pierced themselves and swinging them around his finger and back at the death god. Grell dodged. Well if it meant spending time with Sebby he was game for anything.

"Oooh! Are we getting things heated up now, Sebby-chan?"

Wonderful. Sebastian gave an irritated sigh. This was going to completely throw off his schedule for today. Now to lure his unwanted admirer away from the crowd and dispose of him elsewhere.

….

"Wait! No!" Ivy had just been getting the hang of it when Bard decided to speed up and out of nowhere ask her if she was ready only to just let go without waiting for an answer. She went zooming forward and with a cry she tumbled over a snow bank and into the snow She could hear their presences running after her. This was beyond undignified.

They stopped and she sat up, glaring daggers at them. "Ehehehehe…" Bard scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Too soon?"

"_Bard…I'm going to kill you."_

They all stooped to help her up and she swatted them away. Absolutely not. She had, had enough. The lot of them were a disaster waiting to happen. "You have ten seconds to run." She told him. With that he speed skated in the opposite direction. The servants had never seen anyone get the hang of skating any faster than the neko did at that moment. Granted she was not quite fast enough to catch him yet, but she was getting there quickly. People stopped to stare at the spectacle for a moment before going about their business now and then.

Ciel rolled his eyes at the sight. He figured that it would only be a matter of time before Ivy was making attempts on their persons just like his butler. When Finnian protested all of this violence the boy could hear her shout that he was next if he interfered. Lizzie was giggling at the sight. At least somebody found it amusing. His reputation would not exactly be exalted by this kind of public behavior. Speaking of which, where on earth was Sebastian with their hot chocolate?

Ivy was getting fast…but her shaky maneuverability was slowing her down. This frustrated her as she was used to being the most agile thing around. Bard darted in another direction and she skidded along the ice, stopping herself with her claws on the ice. Shavings flying in the process. Bard was quick on the ice but she knew she could be faster. "Get back here." She growled half at him and half to herself. All of the commotion however made them completely miss the fact that their picks were making small cracks in the ice and people were tripping over them.

The young earl face palmed at all of these happenings. Murmurs and complaints were heard all around. Lizzy looked at him in concern. "You shouldn't worry so much about it, Ciel." She attempted to ease his worries with a warm smile. The boy just stared at her flatly before frowning and looking the other way. This just showed how little she understood about his world. Aunt Francis was going to bury him so deep in remarks later on he just knew it. With a grunt he led her away from the sight with mild irritation still on his face, completely missing the saddened expression on the girl's face. As usual.

Maylene tried to placate Ivy while Finnian skated around in circles in a panic blubbering and wailing over-dramatically. In the process the pick of his skate got caught in one of the small indents they'd created in the ice. Flailing, the young gardener lost his balance and went spiraling out of control at incredible speed across the ice. Maylene then abandoned her efforts and chased after her young friend. Utter chaos. She was unable to stop him and he collided with a near by pine. Splinters of bark scattered throughout the air along with the resonating 'bang!' of the impact.

Ivy winced at the loud noise, jumping practically out of her skin. She whipped around to have a look, forgetting all about her current ill humor. Slowly the large tree creaked and everybody stopped and stared in shock as it toppled down toward the ice. "FINNI!" She shouted fearing that he was badly hurt. At this he got up, mildly dazed but not wounded. Her relief was short lived however as she noted the direction in which the tree was falling. The cracks and groans of wood seemed to echo all around the trees. Right toward an unaware pair of very important, betrothed children. Edward tore toward them in a panic along with Francis and Alexis Middleford…but Ivy knew that they wouldn't reach them in time. She made her move dutifully.

"What have I done? _What have I done?_" She chanted in a guilty panic.

"LIZZYYYY! The elder brother screamed. The two kids turned to see the source of their danger with large eyes. Ciel grabbed his fiancee's hand and they made a break to escape the giant fur tree's path. The boy's pick then got stuck on a small protruding chunk of ice and stopped him short, causing Lizzy to collide into his back and they both fell over. Uh oh.

"SEBAST-!"

-CRACK!-

…..

It had been cut short and abrupt, but the demon had heard it. The distress cry on his young master. A collision. Ice shattering. He bashed Grell through a tree trunk to make sure he would stay put just long enough for him to make his way off.

…..

There was a blow that threw Ivy for a loop as she made it just fast enough to throw the children out of harm's way. A blow that would have killed any human instantly. Instead however she was stunned, dazed and sank along with the trunk of the tree she felt herself slipping from consciousness quickly. She struggled to remain alert so she could get out of this situation. The light was dimming as she was pulled further and further down from the sunlight at the surface. Soon all there was to see was deep blue, white chunks, and shadows. Then blackness. Exactly how long would it take for a half-breed to drown?

The split second had happened so quickly. One moment he was struggling to get back up and shouting for his butler and then next thing he knew he was shoved into the arms of his future brother in law along with Lizzy. The thing that had him staring in shock however, was the sight of broken ice, cracking further as Francis and the rest of the Middlefords quickly began to herd people off of the ice…and the neko who moved him from the path of danger was nowhere to be seen. That _idiot_!

"SHE WAS HIT!" Bard exclaimed.

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

"MISS IVY!"

"WHERE IS SHE? I CAN'T SEE HER DOWN THERE!" The servants were in hysterics, refusing to leave without her. Why had she done it? Ciel could not possibly understand why any sort of demon would risk themselves without any sort of contract to fulfill. Sebastian then appeard in an instant on the ice. Looking back and forth sharply for the source of danger.

"SEBASTIAN! GET HER! GET HER OUT!"

…..

His young master was safe but then he heard him shout "GET HER OUT!" from where he stood in the snow. He quickly looked at the servants in turmoil and all parties present. It was clear who the only one missing was. His eyes widened a fraction in surprise. How had she…? He immediately narrowed his eyes at the servants before his jacket was thrown off, remembering that he had seen them up to something earlier. What had they done this time?

"Move!" He ordered them harshly. They scattered to safety and the people on the bank watched in awe as this mysterious man in black skidded gracefully across the ice. They watched as he shattered the thick surface with a kick and dived gracefully down.

"He's nuts!" One man commented in disbelief.

"There is no way he can get her out! He'll drown!" Another gaped.

"Oh how romantic!" A woman remarked with misty eyes.

"Go Sebastian! That's what being a Phantomhive servant is all about!" Bard cheered thoroughly impressed and on the end of his rope with anxiety. The moments of unbearable silence that followed felt like years to all the witnesses present. Francis looked at Ciel with a glance that he wished was readable. Lizzy clung to his arm tightly.

…..

It was not difficult at all for Sebastian to spot the little neko a drift in the current. The blow she received had rendered her unconscious and thus she was unable to swim back to the surface. A human would be near drowned by now, since she was a halfbreed however, she was still well for the most part. How on earth had she gotten into such a mess? What a magnet for trouble this little creature was. He easily grasped her in his arms. All she needed was a little heat and some air, preferably right away. That would be easy enough. Though he deemed it best to keep this little detail from her later…at least for now.

He wasted no time, covering up her ears with her cap that had nearly come off. The demon locked his lips in a tight seal over hers. He pushed his own air into her lungs to tide her lungs over as he carried her up to the surface. He was surprised that with just a little warmth from his breath he felt her hand fist his shirt, slowly regaining awareness. She was tougher than he'd assumed. She would be just fine.

As he burst from the water, -the bundle of a girl huddled in his arms- there were shouts of elation, surprise, and relief all around. Some people even clapped in approval. Ignoring all of it he surveyed the crowd for his young master and the others. He gracefully left the ice once he caught sight of them. They all hurried over as he proceeded to check on Ivy's progress. The remarks and praise went over his head as usual.

"My how brave you were! BOTH of you!"

"Is she alright!"

"Miss Ivy!" The servants came to see and he turned his body to keep them away from her with a glare. Destructive forces. They froze and hung their heads. He would deal with this later. Her eyes were narrowly opening and closing so he figured she was coming back to reality. Still she was so cold to the touch. Lizzy and Ciel rushed over not a moment too soon.

"We must get her somewhere warm and dry now." Francis said with a stern urgency. Sebastian was already taking her back to the hansom. As on task as always. He snatched his still dry jacket from Finnian and wrapped it around her. She finally began to tremble and spit a small bit of water. Lips puckering and shaking. The Marchioness and her husband both turned to look at Ciel and his gut dropped. Perfect. Lizzy linked her fingers with his. 'The perfect end to a perfect day' he thought sarcastically.

"Ciel…" His stern aunt made her way over to him. "Your servants…" The suspense had him tensing more than ever. "I owe them everything. The life of my daughter and my nephew. If I ever had any doubts about that girl before they are gone now. To have such devoted servants requires a kind and reliable master. I am proud of you, nephew. Merry Christmas." Ciel blinked and looked over to the hansom where the servants were all doting over her. She must have been awake now.

"Thank you." Was all he found that he could say to his aunt. "Merry Christmas."

…..

Seated in front of the fireplace at the manor, freshly changed, bundled up in a blanket with a sleepy, serene expression. It was such a delicious place to be after the trying day Ivy had gone through. Every now and then she felt a shudder as more of the cold left her body. Bard was going on and on about how sorry he was. "Bright side, we get a snow day tomorrow…Sebastian would really get his feathers ruffled if he knew I was in here considering he forbade us from being near you for the rest of the day. Still we just had to apologize." The neko frowned and looked at him.

She raised an eyebrow. "He is being harsh. It was my fault for getting so worked up over such nonsense. If I had only show-"

"No really, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have been pushy. Anyway I have to get out of here." He scrambled away sneaking off down the hall. The neko rolled her eyes. Humans were so terrible at being quiet. Still she smiled fondly. Ah, Bard. You had to either hate him or love him. 'I guess I finally learned to skate' She thought to herself dryly before starting to giggle to herself. She had such morbid humor sometimes.

"He never listens." A deep voice remarked. Green eyes slid swiftly in the direction of the sound. "I would have never tolerated his nonsense if I were not bound." The demon Sebastian stood before her in all of his dark splendor, clicking his tongue in dissapproval. He pulled off one of his gloves, placing a tray on the coffee table. His hand touched her forehead and then her fingers.

"The resilience of demon genes astounds me to have such dominance over human DNA. Your temperature is still so cold and yet you continue to function with such vivaciousness." He stated. Ivy was surprised by how hot his hands felt. "Perhaps this will speed up the warming process. I have never thought so deeply about the mix of human and demon. How it works…all of your extremities show no sign at all of frostbite." A thermos of hot chocolate was pushed into her hands and she revelled in it's warmth. Still she did not say anything until she took a sip he did not call her a chocolate monster for nothing. She squeaked as he lifted her foot, sliding off her stocking. He examined her toes individually.

"Half breeds are complex…death to us is conditional, even if we drown we will simply become dormant and can be easily brought back to life. My mother called it the Lazarus effect. The only way to kill a half-" She stopped herself. How had she allowed her guard to slip so low? He stared at her momentarily and she snatched away her foot. "I'm fine, thank you. Oh and if you please do not be so hard on the others. I allowed my temper to get the best of me. Otherwise this would not have happened." She curled into a ball curtly and defensively. "Besides, Ciel is completely unscathed so you should be at ease, demon."

"Oh but I am. Why else would I be here, little one?"

"Are you implying that you have no reason to be here other than feeling like it?" She half groaned, sitting up she placed her thermos down and replaced the stocking onto her foot.

"Of course." He did not seem to react to her statement much other than that, touching her hands curiously. She heard him murmur something absently about trembling. "I think of nothing but myself after all, and even an unfeeling beast enjoys entertainment. Isn't that right?" Ivy was indignant.

"That isn't a fair statement, Sebastian. Have I not dealt with enough today? You behave as though I am not grateful." Granted it was difficult to show gratitude to somebody who tormented you as their favorite past time.

"Gratitude." He seemed to mull over the word. In her mind she wondered how on earth she could thank him.

"The difference is…" She pulled away her hands. "I am not one to forget who you are just because I am grateful. I will always keep in mind that you are capable of unfathomably terrible things. You are dangerous and I'm not a naïve, idealistic little girl to assume you will change."

"You are wise then." The demon grinned, moving to stand, he sat in the chair opposite her. Ivy sighed. She figured that the best way to _show_ him gratitude would have to be the quickest. It would be a humble thanks but it would do for him. Anyway it was Christmas. Planting her feet on the ground, she stood up. Still holding the blanket around her shoulders, she shuffled over to him and leaned over. Sebastian blinked in surprise when her lips pressed against his temple in a quick peck.

"Thank you, and um… Merry Christmas." With that she was gone and so was her hot chocolate. First he grinned to himself then he chuckled. Touching his fingers to his temple he scoffed.

"Silly girl." He smirked.

* * *

Author's Note: I was taken away from home early before the holidays started otherwise this would have been already done before Christmas. u_u'. Not cool. Anyway I hope you guys liked it. I'm a bit concerned that this was a little bit rushed. Review! I'm lonely and all I got for Christmas was pajamas. Pity me. And cookies for everyone who caught that line from the Grinch that I snuck in xD.


	30. That Maid Alarmed

Author's Note: I promise to rewrite the beginning of this story after this chapter is posted. All I gotta figure out is the intro and few in between events and I'll be good to go. It pretty much means that there will be less of the first chapters. Less Liam but more Wesley, etc and so on. I hope I don't confuse anybody with those chapters, cuz I have the feeling that putting them all up and sorting everything out properly is going to take quite some time. Anyway time to get to the end of this arc which will be followed by more of Ivy's plot in the next chapter. Sebby and Ivy… God they are starting to kind of remind me of Pepe le Pew and Penelope now. Lmao! Anyway… onward friends.

Disclaimer: *snoring covered in confetti*….*snort*-OH! Oh yeah…sorry. Once again I would like to seize the opportunity to state that I own nothing of the kuroshitsuji universe or it's characters. Happy New Year and all that stuff that I missed whilst writing this chappie. Now back to sleep for me. We had the most epic New Years Party here after all.

**Chapter Thirty: That Maid Alarmed**

"_How delicious is the winning of a kiss at love's beginning." -Thomas Campbell_

"I'm sorry I shouted…but only because doing so nearly blew our cover." Ivy finally relented with a huff. "…However, I will not apologize for hitting you. Your shameless behavior required that you be reminded of the propriety you are to keep to, pig." She sat a top a few wooden crates. The handprint on Sebastian's face from her passionate slap was already disappearing anyway. He smirked dryly. Propriety indeed when the two of them had been sharing a bed for the past few days.

"You _yourself_ should keep that in mind while you are sleeping, I may have to return the favor, little one." He teased. Ivy twitched at this, tempted to kick him in the face but refraining. Instead she glared and stuck her nose in the air with a distasteful sniff. The two of them spoke in hushed tones now…though it was getting increasingly difficult for Ivy to keep it that way.

"You behave as though I chose to sleep with you of my own volition. Can I help it if I get fitful when I dream? Or snuggly while I sleep?"

"Or whisper unintelligible requests of a vague and questionable nature." He responded flatly with a dead pan expression. Ivy felt her gut sink and her face heat up.

"SHU-!…Why do you always say such horrible things? Forget it. I'm going for a walk. Alone." She huffed, hopping down from her perch and storming off. It was cold out but worst things had happened. The neko girl hugged herself. Sebastian just pulled her back by the wrist making her squeak. "Would you kindly _cease _your man-handling?" She protested. The butler simply turned her to face him with his usual unreadable expression. "Sebastian I am not playing with you!" Really it was hard not to raise her voice to him. It is the first impulse of anybody who feels as though their words are always being unheeded after all.

He smiled again…that plastic smile of an English servant. "I only state the truth. I do apologize for my forward manner. As I told you before…your abashed nature is difficult for one of my kind not to exploit. Also…if I recall correctly…" The smile turned into a frightening grin. "You do have the softest lips." After a stunned moment of silence, trying to think hard on his words she paled. Really it should have been obvious that it was only a matter of time before he would turn such a thing against her. Still despite herself she began to laugh cynically. That was certainly the last time she would ever be nice to him.

"I see. You think you are so witty. So hilarious." She spat. "You want me to give you a matching blow to the other cheek, is that it?"

"If you think you can." He challenged. "Then by all means, try." Her knuckles were brought up to his lips provocatively. How Ivy hated it when he baited her into a fight. With this, she wrenched away her arms and folded them. Silently accepting the challenge. He would not win here. For once she would control her temper.

"I don't know what to say to you anymore."

"Ah, that you hate me perhaps." He smiled down at her.

"With a passion, though that matters little to you, so such a thing is not an option. In fact I think you like it."

"You've seen how we live. How much entertainment do you imagine I ever get? Or cats for that matter?" This statement made Ivy twitch.

"You _know _how I feel about _both _of those topics, Sebastian." She gritted through her teeth in a low growl, bristling. He just smirked in response knowingly.

"Of course I do, little one. Why do you think I enjoy employing them so much?" Have you ever been so upset that your head feels as though it were about to explode like a geyser? Well…this topped it…by far. Ivy was truly unsure whether to scream, attack him, pass out, or bang her head against the nearest hard surface. She decided to settle for throwing the nearest blunt object at him. Sebastian caught the heavy wooden crate just barely, and was surprised that it nearly made him fall over. He kept forgetting how strong she was. She began to giggle.

"I did not think that would even faze you. It actually feels rather satisfying." Her hip jutted out smugly as she folded her arms once again. He simply placed down the weighty box with little effort and smirked at her the way he always did.

"Satisfying you say? You do not know the meaning of the word." His scoff was very insulting but there was a something of an unspoken… _threat_ in his voice she supposed. Whatever it was it was dangerous. She would not be stupid enough to ask him what he meant by saying that. Green eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Perhaps I will soon enough." She hissed. He snickered.

"Indeed. I look forward to it." Okay something was really not right here. She decided that it would be best if she stopped speaking right about then. Her brow furrowed into a mistrusting frown. Something in his presence shifted, and his expression sobered. Ivy's face softened. What on earth? He looked in the direction from whence they had come. "I'm summoned." He spoke in a subdued, purposeful tone still looking in that same direction. She relaxed a bit before he looked at her as if debating whether or not to say something. Silence eventually prevailed and he walked back toward the medical tent, making not a sound…even to her ears. This fact scared her.

A sudden chill touched her and she was finally aware of the winter night air. How on earth had she forgotten about it? Hugging herself she rubbed her arms a bit and made her way back to her tent. Damn it. Will was probably there so quite frankly she was not looking forward to going without Sebastian.

…..

"You rang?" Sebastian murmured suavely as he stood at attention at the tent entrance where his young master lay wearily on the assembled bed. The boy was still glistening slightly from the sweat of a fever. His eyes were half open and he was pinned beneath the arm and leg of the young girl, Doll…or rather…Freckles at the moment. It hadn't been difficult for him to decipher that. Anyway she was currently snuggling the young master in her sleep, a very familiar sight it was and he stifled the pull at the corner of his mouth.

The boy's small birdlike hand emerged from under the blanket and a single finger motioned him over. He made a tapping motion with the slender digit and pointed to his butler's hand. Sebastian looked at his palm before stooping over and holding it out. Ciel reached over and began to tap an irregular rhythm into his hand with a meaningful gaze. Morse code he realized upon recognizing his name being spelled out. Speaking out loud would risk waking Freckles…or having her overhear them. Once again their lessons had come in handy.

_Sebastian. This is an order. _The boy was concentrating, straining his focus despite his ill state.

_You go to the crest office and find out who owns that seal. The crest office in London is, The England Heraldry College of Arms. At Edinburgh, there is a Scotland Heraldry, the Lord of Lyon. _A single cerulean eye flitted towards pre-teen who was smothering him.

_Waking him would cause too much trouble so I will escape in the morning. Come and pick me up. _So either the young master did not know his bed mate was a girl, or he did not wish for his butler to know. The demon grinned and closed his hand with a nod of acknowledgement before tapping into the boy's palm an affirmative.

_Yes. My Lord. _Ciel curtly pulled his hand back under the warmth of his fleece blanket prepared to sleep once more. Unfortunately however his butler had one more thing to say. He spoke in a whisper.

"By the way…I will keep it a secret from Lady Elizabeth that you shared a bed with another girl. Please do not worry." At this Ciel's expression grew mortified upon realizing that his butler had known this all along. Points for the butler, oh but he would get him back for that.

Sebastian stood back up and was gone in a flash to fulfill his orders.

…..

"Where is the big one?" He demanded curtly. When Ivy sauntered into the tent with an unapproachable glare. The half-breed let out an annoyed breath and rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice. How dare he speak to her in such a tone?

"Get your knickers out of that twist, Wilhelmina. He is with Ciel. The boy summoned him so your ridiculous ground rules are not being violated, you four-eyed, stiff-legged, dip-stick." She could feel his irritation at her attitude and relished in the small victory.

"How long ago was this exactly?"

"Why on earth would you care? Is this an interrogation? Or are you just that obsessed with my supervisor and thus can not help but _have _to know everything about him, including where he is twenty four seven. Would you like me to find out what sort of underwear he prefers next?" Ivy hung upside down from the bunk railing. William just stared flatly at her, not amused. He stood up wordlessly and she swung casually back up.

"Your humor is crass, and forgive me if I do not take the word of a demon's plaything for it." He stated, making her twitch. Bad idea. Unexpectedly…there was a fuzzy blur of black and gray…and it stole his glasses. The only way to stop William T. Spears. Without his glasses…he was utterly blinded. "Give those back." He growled, menacingly, snatching up his death scythe. He could hear her giggle gleefully.

"Normally I would start a game of keep away but that would require more than two people." She dodged a swing as he followed her voice. "Instead we'll play fetch."

"Return my spectacles!"

"Fetch them, soul harvester!" He caught the movement. She pitched them with such force out of the tent that it went flying over several tents and he charged after it before he could lose it. "Plaything indeed." She snarled disgustedly, curling up under the blanket. She wouldn't have stood a chance against him if he could see but that was what being crafty and underhanded was all about. There is not much incentive to play fair if it could mean one's life. Besides he deserved it.

…..

The air was crisp as Sebastian stepped out of the tent and straightened his lapels. "Now…" He trailed, ready to get started. He deemed the nearest location would be best to start off.

-CHACK!-…On the other hand he may have to get started a few minutes late. He leapt from the path of a swinging death scythe. Landing on his feet, rusty red eyes met the sight of a still pajama clad reaper. He seemed to be replacing his glasses, sliding them up his nose, slightly out of breath.

"Where do you think you're going? I am quite sure that I told you not to wander around without your master." The presumption Sebastian found very irritating. That this death god would assume he had any leeway to order a being such as himself around. Still the demon grinned in mock acknowledgement of the 'order'.

"I am sorry. However, my master can not make this move himself so he has asked me to do it instead." He informed courteously. The stern shinigami was relentless.

"I am not listening to excuses. Now get back in the tent." If only there was no risk of waking anybody…he would show him a thing or two about tents. "Until my inspection is complete, you -and your pert little…_friend_- are not allowed to carry out any independent actions." Still Sebastian did not move from his spot. This made William's glare harden and he made another jab at him with the deadly clippers. "One small mistake can lead to excessive over time-" Much to his shock however…the demon caught the blade of the weapon with his hand, cutting through it rather severely. The foul creature did not even wince.

"My apologies. I also have my duty as a butler. I must not disturb the sleeping master." Will silently listened to the beast, mind calculating his options as he continued to speak. "You do not want to cause trouble here either. How about it?" Now his voice darkened a fraction but enough for a seasoned reaper to pick up on as he said "…Would you like to make a deal with me? If you let me go for one hour, I vow that I will never eat souls in your assigned area again. Just one hour. What do you say?" The death god was insulted.

"I refuse." He responded in a curt business like manner, eyes full of cold disdain. "To deceive prey and drag them into the darkness…is that not a demon's signature ability?" It would take more than pretty words and cajoling to get the best of William T. Spears. The demon in black sighed casually. Will retracted his scythe, leaving the creature's once pristine gloves torn and crimson with blood.

"Indeed." Sebastian remarked, his breath fogging up the winter air. "As expected, it did not work. You have left me with no other choice." He seemed to be pondering casually with that ever present mocking smirk and he raised his bleeding hand to his own lips. His now strangely limber tongue lapped at the meaningless wound, closing it up without a problem. "Then…lets think of another way."

…..

It was late. It was freezing. It was dark. Beast did not have much of a winter ensemble. Just a warm coat that did not reach past much of her legs. Still what did she care? Another heavy sigh clouded the night air in front of her. She was too anxious to care about the cold, and so there she remained, leaning against a fence impatiently waiting for what she knew was going to be quite a confrontation. Folding her arms around herself to conserve heat, she frowned at nothing in particular. They all knew what they were doing was horrible, they were being blackmailed for this…and yet Joker insisted on loyalty to this man! Why?

Everyday she would watch his well practiced show-man's smile…and note that it became faker and faker as time passed. Then she realized that he began to use it for her and others too. Finally when he thought nobody was watching she would see the most terrible, empty expression take over his face. He was tearing himself apart inside by doing this. She had grown to hate that perverse old bastard…but she stayed with the circus…with him. One reason was that she had nowhere else to go, but she could have gotten over that with a fierce independence like hers. She loved all of her childhood friends…and she loved Joker.

At this she suddenly made out the sound of footsteps coming in her direction. There was a nervous pang in her gut and she knew it was show time. There he was. Joker with an unreadable somber expression. Whether he pretended not to notice her standing there or not she did not know, nor did she care. Her eyes narrowed at his back as he passed her by. Finally she deemed it necessary to speak up.

"Where are you going?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and peered over his shoulder at her. "Ah…I'm off to see Father." He stated with a fairly innocent, unconcerned expression. Beast wanted to shout at him but refrained. Joker seemed to notice her demeanor and turned to face her completely now. "How about you? Can't sleep?" The idiot. Using his responsibility towards the other circus members to try and steer the conversation elsewhere. He might as well have just walked away from her.

A fan of eye lashes shielded her eyes as she cast them down grimly. Here it comes.

"Let's quit." After that all of the words she wanted to say began tumbling out. He seemed only momentarily taken aback before it was gone just like that. "We have this circus. We can work it out. So let's just stop doing these…things, and escape to somewhere where Father can't find us." She kept up her tough façade all the while. Though inside she was begging for him to just agree. Joker raised an eyebrow at her and she could tell he considered her ungrateful…disloyal. It was so frustrating. For a moment she debated on knocking him out cold and leaving his ass there all night.

"Cross over the mountain with you? That's impossible." He gave a skeptical grin. Turning around, his piercings jingled just a bit. "I don't have time to talk about these things." He was leaving. He was leaving again and something inside of her snapped like a twig. She flung herself at him like a child, holding him there with her from behind.

"Wait!" Her voice cracked, fists white knuckled where they gripped his cloak like a life line. He stopped and looked down at the ground, eyes closing painfully as she buried her fact against his left shoulder blade. She briefly noted that he was so warm.

"What's wrong?" The boy -now man- that she loved asked. "This isn't like you. We decided on this remember? We decided to protect our most precious ones. For that we will do anything." He was reminding her of that _awful _bargain. If he wanted to convincer her to see things his way he was going to have to try harder than that. Especially now that he'd reduced her to blubbering like a little girl.

"But…" She trembled determined on being stubborn. "…But I don't want to see that tortured face of yours anymore Joker! Because I…" At this moment she wanted to kick herself in the head. She managed to say all of these things…but she couldn't bring herself to confess those three little words. When he turned to face her and hold her at a distance by the shoulders, she found herself all the more at a loss for words.

"Did you forget?" His sternness caught her off guard. "We can't turn back now." She could feel her face growing warmer as her eyes threatened to overflow with all of the emotions she had always kept to herself. At her expression he softened…there was that pasted smile of his again. He pulled off his own scarf, seemingly noticing now that she did not have the warmest attire and draped it securely around her neck. It was an attempt to make her feel better…but it did not work. "Staying up late is not good for you." With that, he turned and walked away…again.

"Joker!" She entreated, hoping that he would turn around again. He didn't.

"Goodnight." He called back calmly. Once again she stood alone out in the cold. The silence was unbearable for her as her mind raced trying to console herself with some thought but found none. With this she began to cry for the first time since she was a child. Angrily she began to dry her eyes with the whool scarf he left with her.

"My, my…are you crying?" Beast froze in a panic, looking over her shoulder.

"You…" She hissed. Of all the people to catch her in such a vulnerable state. It had to be the eerie man in a suit known as Black to everybody. How she hated that man. "This has nothing to do with you! Go away!" Visciousness always made men back away in this day and age, and probably would forever.

"Ah, but I think that's impossible." He said, suddenly behind her. Her first instinct was to run and hide but that went against her namesake and pride. Still she could not even bring herself to attack him. What was this…power that his presence radiated? It's like he was one giant threat to humanity.

"Wha-!"

"It's pointless to pursue a man like him. He can not return your feelings. Oh he thinks he should treat you nicely at least, but he knows that it will hurt you more in the end. How cruel." When he began to fiddle with the scarf Joker had given her Beast wondered why the hell she hadn't gained the courage to take a swing at him. 'Come on, Beast. Pop him one!' She could hear herself protesting internally. "When did you start this? These miserable tears and a relationship that relies on nothing more than sentimentality." Now she could feel the fire come back just enough. Turning around with swiftness like the crack of her whip, she aimed a fist for his pretty boy jaw.

"What would you understand!" She shouted with all her venom, only ending up feeling like she might as well have tried to strike at the wind itself as he easily dodged her fist. It was like nothing more than a flying insect to him.

"Nothing." He responded, as cool as the air around him. "However, there is one thing I do know." She felt like her breath leave her as he caught her wrist and moved behind her once again. His arms encircled her. Then there came that devilish whisper in her ear. "…The way to release you from that pain for just a while…" What had he just done? Her knees buckled at the intense warmth he radiated.

Sebastian could feel that he was getting somewhere. She put up a fight, but it was nothing he could not over come with wordless persuasion. She still struggled, just less ardently.

"Stop kidding me! Let me GO!" The human demanded, attempting to wrench away from his vice grip.

"I am not joking around." The demon grinned to himself. Miss Ivy would have simply begun to scream for her friends at this point and completely ruin his plans. She always was clever. Back on track though. "What will you do with this pile of painful thoughts? The weight of it will neither move forward nor backward. Even if you desperately call out to him he will never look back at you. How pitiful." He could feel her resolve wearing away. Emotional women tended to be so easy to manipulate.

_The prey…_

"It is painful is it not? Do you not want to feel comfort? Forget him who is cruel with kindness…"

…_is deceived with sweet words and dragged into darkness._

"Would it not be good to forget everything if only for a night?"

_To not notice the demon's concealed power…_

"Indulge in pleasure…"

_Skillfully._

"Breathe a sweet poison deep into your lungs."

_Sweetly. Quietly. _Her hand slowly began to tug the scarf around her neck loose and he knew that he'd won. "I only want to get in and explore…that secret place deep inside of you." As the red fabric hit the ground, that had been that.

…..

Boredom. _Boooredom. _When William did not return, Ivy cared very little. He was probably off picking a fight with Sebastian anyway. No doubt Ciel had given his butler an assignment. The halfling was very upset with that thought. Granted she liked to get in her hours of sleep but to be left out of the loop so carelessly was both disconcerting and insulting. She sighed and had fallen asleep a few times only to wake up from the now more apparent cold Sebastian was his own space heater honestly. There was no point staying here if she could not sleep.

With a graceful bound, she now patted along on all fours, exiting the tent. Where the hell she was even going to go she really had no clue. Still it was better than sitting around. Perhaps she would get drowsy eventually. Everybody was likely asleep already so wandering around unheeded should not have been a problem. The little main coone was able to boldly scurry about. Realizing that this was not any less boring than lying uselessly in bed, she pouted. That settled it; she would have to figure out what was going on tonight. She bounded girlishly over to the medical tent where Ciel was, peering in and smiling fondly at the sleeping child. Just as she thought. Asleep. So now what?

She began to feel around the campsite for anything interesting…and caught Sebastian's presence. What on earth was he doing still in the encampment? So the information he needed was here? Strange. Perhaps she could figure out what he was looking for. The name behind the seal no doubt…but it was so unlikely to get anybody here to tell him that without blowing his cover. Should he not have gone into town to research it? The unbiased ground there was sure to get him answers much quicker. Her eyes narrowed curiously, trying to think out his reasoning. Hmmm. She would have to just take a look. Mister Spears could have just been proving troublesome.

It seemed that he was over at the private tents of the first tier members. Surely by now the snakes knew better than to attack her she hoped, even if they did not she would not be stopped by the likes of them this time. Swishing her tail confidently she strode in the direction of the looming storm cloud presence that was so unmistakably Sebastian in it's essence.

As she neared, she puzzled. How on earth could be looking for anything of use in the tents of the first tier members if they had already looked there? Also there was the fact that all the tents were certainly occupied at this hour to consider. Hmm. Curious thing…very curious.

Her eyes surveyed the area as she crept along hoping not to run into any more asps or green mambas or anything of the like. She easily tracked him in such a small place. Stopping in her tracks when she realized that he _was _inside one of the tents, she frowned. How was he…? Her mind worked over the layout of the place that she had in her memory. Joker was not around…or she would feel the misty tingle that followed him…but this was not Joker's tent. Moving low to the ground to get closer she wondered quite nervously what he was doing in Beast's tent. Her ears picked up the vaguest murmurs. She wanted to walk away but her curiosity demanded to know. She was no fool but…

Then she heard a sound as she neared the flap of the tent. A breathy moan. She froze. He was…? This made her jerk back, suddenly alarmed. No…it was too out of character for him to…-but what else could it possibly be? Her ears lowered cautiously. It had been obvious what all signs were pointing to. She was no fool…but it did not seem like he would have wasted time on such a thing. Methods such as these were highly risky…and it was…_unnecessary._ Another one sounded, this time a bit louder and she suddenly felt slightly sick. He was whispering. As the noises began to escalate Ivy began to feel more and more panicked, and it became harder to breathe. What on earth was she still standing here for! Pacing like a mindless idiot. All she could do was softly hyperventilate as her heart pounded painfully.

She could not say that such a thing would be surprising. He was a demon…they did worse things everyday. As her mind flitted back to their first arrival at the circus it did seem to make sense. It had unnerved her before, but it had been more of an annoyance that time. Now it felt much worse. She could not take another second of this so she bolted with a frustrated scowl at herself. Why did her own nature have to be so difficult to comprehend? Why should such a thing even matter to her? Why should it terrify her so much?

Sebastian…he was nothing. Just a nuisance. A pest, although a highly dangerous one. Everything he did to her was to make her miserable. Who cared if he occupied his time elsewhere? She came to a stop and curled up behind a few stacked crates. Rythmically she head walled against the roughed wood. How she hated him. So much. Grinding her teeth and digging her nails into the dirt was not helping. This was the most _stupid _situation she had ever been in. Considering it was the first time she had ever been so emotive, so _bitter_ over something she did not even want. Truth being that most of her wanted nothing to do with him.

However, she now realized that she had grown too used to his presence. She had allowed herself to become too comfortable. He was an annoying as all hell, narcissistic, potential molester, bullying, PEST. Still he only ever acted like that towards her. Subconsciously she had become accustomed to this unique treatment and now that it suddenly did not seem as unique anymore…she felt abandoned. He had manipulated something in her that had been working towards making her into some sort of convenient source of entertainment for him, and worst… she had nearly let him. Not any more. Her little shoulders shook before she steeled herself darkly and stormed back to tent 9.

…..

Ivy had not spoken to Sebastian all day. She seemed rather keen on sticking close to the young master. It was puzzling not because of this however, the half-breed always had a tendency to avoid him. What was odd, was that never once did she give him a single dirty look and she behaved as though interacting with a stranger. Though there was no open hostility, she seemed to be rather testy. Being busy he had no time to look into it however as he tended to the young master.

"Good morning." He told the boy with a smile. "Your fever has lowered considerably hasn't it? How are you feeling?" The boy sat up with a gruff sound. Still sweaty and looking rather dreadful. He caught sight of Ivy and blinked but made no remark about her presence.

"I wouldn't call it good, but it is better than yesterday." He blinked at where Doll once was. "Has she gone to breakfast…?" He murmured half to himself. When he began to cough again Sebastian had a glass at the ready, prepared as always.

"Have some water." The butler suggested. Ciel now noticed that he was not wearing his gloves and frowned. If somebody noticed the mark on his hands they would ask questions. Taking the water carefully in both hands he raised an eyebrow, sipping non-chalantly.

"What happened to your gloves?" He inquired. He heard Ivy sniff and looked over at her as she simply stood in the background lacing up her shoes. Sebastian simply looked down at his hands casually.

"Oh. I got them a bit dirty." He explained ambiguously. Ciel just watched him, wondering whether or not he really wanted to know. Deeming it the wiser decision he decided that he did _not_ want to know. Ivy 'accidentally' threw one of Ciel's shoes at the demon's head at his explanation before going back to grumbling, making the demon frown and look at her. With a short cough the young earl continued to speak.

"More importantly, I hope you carried out my request." Whatever was going on would not be made a matter of importance to him. His butler simply nodded. Ivy stepped out of the tent wordlessly with a tired huff.

"Yes, of course." He scooped Ciel up from the sheets. "There is no need for us to be here anymore. Let us go while everyone is having their meal. We can talk with ease when we get back." They would have to be quick about it.

Ivy was quiet as she walked ahead of them with her arms folded protectively around herself. She paused only briefly upon noticing William standing stiffly just out of her path. There was a silent glance exchanged and she knew that he had heard the nightmares that had plagued her the night before. She woke up cold and alone in the dead of night…her mother nowhere in sight and after a shiver, began to weep softly. At the time it had not mattered to her if anybody heard it. Chances are he had never heard of a demon crying before. With a curt nod she walked past him, a cold expression on her face, soon followed by Sebastian who was still carrying the quite sick young master.

"We have finished our business here, so we will excuse ourselves now." He uttered coldly. Yellow green eyes followed his movements with just as much ice.

"It is none of my business where you go with your master, be my guest." The death god stated simply, watching the odd trio leave. "I can move around at ease again." Adjusting his glasses he opened a three spiral binder and began fingering through it.

…..

Being at the townhouse felt like a huge weight was gone from the neko girl's shoulders. Agni's Chai tea was a great comfort to her. He had noticed her ill humor once again, just as he had before. Upon first seeing him when they'd returned to the much awaited home, she had hugged him impulsively, wearily, knowing a place to seek comfort when she saw it. Soma was still ranting and raving about how Ciel was clearly sick and was lying horribly about it. "He is sick! Did you hear his cough? Then he dared to lie right to my face! Its like he thinks me some kind of idiot! Do I look like an idiot?" The young prince raged. Ivy resisted the urge to answer that question and serenely sipped her tea.

"Of course not, prince!" Agni protested and Ivy rolled her eyes behind her cup. "Ciel sir is a complex child. Perhaps he does not enjoy being fussed over after so many years of taking care of himself." Ivy's eyes danced with amusement as she listened to them. Her lips curved into a smile as she continued to watch the flames in the fireplace. Ciel and his ridiculous way of keeping everybody at a distance. Still, when she voiced that it might not have been a good idea for him to go out again when he had only just been bed ridden the night before, he just gave her a dirty look and ignored her. Now that would not do. Bishop to A5.

"Never the less, he is sick. Very sick." She murmured. 'In more ways than one.' It seemed that her internal musings were becoming rather critical as of late. "No doubt he wants to hide it so that he can leave on more…errands without being reprimanded." Another sip of tea required a pause. "As for Sebastian. He will do whatever Ciel orders him to, including a last minute trip to who knows where. His aesthetics." Soma would not stand for it. Reveal the situation without giving the dark truth away. A demon's trade. She was far too good at it. She grinned at her handy work as Soma and his servant exchanged glances. 'This for your own good, Ciel.' She thought to herself with a sigh. Sometimes it was necessary to be underhanded.

"He can not go out there in the dead of winter again! He could get worse!" The adolescant protested. Ivy simply gave a resigned sigh.

"I agree completely, your highness. However, he refuses to listen to his worried maid." She lamented. "If only there were some way to keep him here." Some puffed out his chest and stood dutifully.

"Fear not, Ciel's maid! I, Prince Soma, shall perform my duty as midget Ciel's best friend!" The boy made a heroic pose and Ivy had a difficult time accepting that he was only about a year younger than her. "He will not get passed me so easily this time!"

"The Prince is so compassionate." Ivy smiled to herself. Agni nodded in agreement, which almost made her laugh. The two of them were such saps. Ah but it was endearing in its own special way. "You had better hurry, the two of them are rather quick, and will likely be ready to go anytime now." She beamed, her neko nature absolutely loving it when she was about to get her way.

"She is right! Agni! Let's go!"

"Yes!" Off they went like clockwork. Smirking, Ivy wafted behind them, pasting on a look of indifference and placing her hands innocently behind her back. Checkmate.

…..

Ciel sweat dropped as he opened the door only to come face to face with a very determined Agni blocking the door. His arms and legs were spread out to prevent any attempt at escape. What was this? Even Sebastian seemed taken aback by this turn of events. Some soft snickers were suddenly made audible and Soma appeared poking his head from around his tall servant's torso. "Too naïve, Ciel. Don't think you can get out of this townhouse so easily, when I am on the job!" He waved a finger at him in dissaproval. "You definitely have a cold! As governer of this mansion and your best friend I can not over look this!" He squeezed into the room to stand before the younger boy. In his sick state, Ciel felt the blood rush to his head in his rage.

"Who is my best friend?" He sneered. "Do not say such ridiculous things!" With an authorities step, he pushed past the prince. The young Indian was undaunted however.

"Agni! Don't let Ciel pass!" The command was decisive and stern. The tall servant's face darkened.

"Jo Ajna." Agni's fingers tugged determinedly at the bandages covering his right hand. Ivy stood outside with her arms folded now. Listening intently for opportunities. The real challenge she knew would be Sebastian. She was not about to involver herself just yet. She could hear Ciel growling before he erupted, shouting at Soma despite his condition.

"I have a job to do! I do not have time for your games! Now-" Here he coughed. "Out of my way!" Soma quickly retaliated.

"Your job is to lie in bed and be nursed at a hospital!"

"I am not like you! This is noth-..-hack!-" He began to cough violently again and Ivy frowned, quickly moving closer to the door. She could hear the rustle of fabric as Agni crouched in front of him in his concern.

"Master Ciel, please return to bed. That kind of coughing is characteristic of asthma. There is no way you are alright!" He implored, touching both of the boy's shoulders. Still coughing, Ciel jerked away from the tanned servant's hands.

"Do not touch me so freely! Sebastian!" He managed. "Get these two out of my sight!" She could feel Soma cowering and Agni faltering.

"Understood." Now it was time for her to step in. Before she could however, Agni surprised her completely.

"Mister Sebastian is still Mister Sebastian! Are you a butler or not!" He shouted. She paused just beside the door frame. This comment made the butler pause in puzzlement. A wordless question to such a strange remark. Agni took this as an opportunity to speak. "As a fellow butler…no…as your friend, I'll say this. Your master's well-being is your priority! Even if it goes against orders, do you not think -considering Ciel sir's condition- that you should be stopping him? For my master to be bright and healthy…for that I would risk my life. Is that not what you would call…._a butler's aesthetics?_" Ivy could have applauded that perfectly play on Sebastian's behavior but she refrained and stepped silently to take a look.

Sebastian looked slightly taken aback, then stroked his chin. "I had thought that granting my master's wishes was my job…but certainly…you may have a point in thinking that too." Ivy bubbled happily, she had not even had to say anything. She would certainly be squeezing the life out of Agni and his awesomeness. Ciel on the other hand was horrified.

"What are you being persuaded for, your orders were-!" Soma yanked him by the collar briskly.

"Now that, that's decided. The patient will sleep!" Ciel's top hat flew off as he was tossed back onto his bed in an indignant heap. Ivy now stepped in, catching the hat.

"Please let us be more gentle with the young master. We want him to be fully recovered by tomorrow." She beamed, winking at the thirteen year old in a way that he just _knew _she had had something to do with this. He glared at her.

"Right! Agni prepare some rice porridge and an herb bath! I will nurse you myself!" Everybody rushed back and forth preparing the young master's things for bed. The whole time he protested, even made several escape attempts. He really was still a child. When he was all changed and refused the porridge for the fifth time Ivy snapped at him.

"Earl Phantomhive! If you expect to be recovered tomorrow you will eat something now for _some _sort of supplement! You may be the young master, but you still are a child! It is not as though you are going anywhere at this point! Now get your narrow little posterior into bed and eat the porridge this instant!" She fumed with all the command of a mother. There had been an angry stare contest between them but Ciel was too tired to win this time. Sebastian smirked in the background as he prepared a thermometer, his back turned to them.

All was said and done and though Ciel still gave everybody in the room dirty looks, he was resigned to his fate for the night. With a final weak argument. 'I said I'm busy…' Sebastian convinced him to sleep. Ivy had a feeling it had something to do with when he checked his fever. It reminded her of a dream she'd once had. Being coaxed into a peaceful slumber by a hand to her forehead. Then she was reminded of her first nightmare she'd had in a while back at the circus before they left. Her mood soured immediately thinking about that place and she swept from the room in an irritated flurry of skirts.

…

She brought the tray into the small kitchen, with a scowl and a soft huff. It was better not to say anything lest the butler come to any ridiculous conclusions. All day she had not even so much as looked in the eye. Soon enough he was going to get curious. Her breath shuddered as she sighed and a slender hand swept through her hair exhaustedly.

"Did you not sleep well?" Oh. No. Really he was the last man in the universe she wanted to speak to under the circumstances. Except for one….but she would not get into that. She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Substantially, though I can not honestly say '_well_' Mister Michaelis. What made you think so? Has it affected my job?" The response was polite. Too polite for the demon's taste and she had not addressed him in such a way for a quite a while. Hmmm. Now for the final test.

"Not at all. Your work is as mediocre as it has always been." A grin tugged the corners of his mouth at the tensing of her shoulders. It was quickly gone however. How very interesting.

"…I apologize for my inadequacy in that case. I do my best to accomplish my work at the level of a proper maid but I have little to offer in comparison to a full bred djinn, perhaps I _have_ been lax. I will try harder then." She was not retaliating anymore. He frowned. Now, now, she should have known better than to ignore him by now.

"I never said it was inadequate. I can only say that about the other three. Simply the same as any average servant." He paced behind her a little bit too close for comfort. Her nerves were not handling it well.

"Well we both can agree then that I have little to offer you." She responded breezily, proceeding to dry the soup spoon.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said I-…" She froze upon realizing her bad choice of words. "…I meant the young master." Really sometimes she could kick her own brains out.

"You said 'you'."

"It was a mistake. The two of you are together so much I often make the mistake of referring to the two of you as a single unit from time to time. I forget that it does not always apply…" She was so tired.

"Indeed."

"Is there anything you need, Mister Michaelis? It is rather late and I will be off to bed in a moment." Go away! Go away! Go away! Turning to make a quick exit, an arm blocked her path. Bugger! She jumped back sharply with a squeak.

"You seem different somehow." He regarded her. "…I can not say diminished…but quiet as when you first arrived here…would I be wrong if I wasted a guess and stated that you were somehow… angry?" Ivy had not expected him to flat out confront her about it since he seemed to show little concern for what his fellow servants did. Damn demon. Now what on earth was she supposed to say? Honestly even though she felt rather upset, she knew that she had no reason to be. It was an unreasonable emotion. Thus to express such ire would also be unreasonable.

"There is no reason to be angry." She gave a short laugh.

"That means nothing. You have a way with words, but you are not being particularly honest. Who do you think you are speaking to little one?"

"I have no idea what you are trying to imply, Mister Michaelis."

"That is precisely what I mean. It has been a while since I've heard that name from you…except of course when you are particularly bothered." She wanted to slap herself for giving him such an opening. It was dark, but she could see the outline of the side of his face and his eyes…though they did not glow right then they were still so like hot coals in the dark… so easy to spot. His bangs unmistakable. The moonlight always complimented him, enhancing his ethereal dark mystery. Suddenly she couldn't look at him anymore.

"I have thought about it, and simply decided that in order to prove myself better as a maid that my behavior would have to change and allowing myself to be so familiar with you has not helped my temper a bit." Her mouth suddenly felt parched as though it was punishing her for such foolish babbling, even if it was partly true. He forced her to look at him, making her whimper. "I really hate it when you do this to me." Her teeth gritted. His smirk upset her further.

"Are you sure that is the only reason?" Dry amusement…like he were humoring a child. Something told her that he was not convinced in the least. She did not blame him, she would not have been convinced either. Well she would certainly die before she said anything now. Green eyes just narrowed in irritation before she huffed.

"Am I to be interrogated now? Let me pass." When she turned to walk around him his grip tightened. Alright. Apparently that meant 'no'.

"Interrogation? Certainly not." He chuckled as if the idea were ludicrous. Well it was. "I want to know what has triggered this sudden behavior."

"Then I want to know why it matters if I am upset or not?" She had blurted before she had the chance to think. It was a harsh snap. The tall demon cocked his head to the side at this. Immediately she wanted to spontaneously combust, because it seemed that the only way he would leave her alone is if she in fact busted into flames and bits of charred flesh. His grin grew and Ivy felt her brain packing its bags and preparing to abandon it's incompetant host. 'He just sucks! He sucks so badly that I am convinced that he sucks as a hobby!' She ranted mentally.

His proximity jarred her from her reverie. "You want to know why?" His tone seemed surprised at the realization. She just shuddered as she felt his breath against her jaw line, a slight tickle. Her eyes fluttered in numb surprise, when had he come so close? Pink lips parted but she had forgotten what she wanted to say.

"You see, Miss Ivy. I just hate to be ignored…" The bridge of his nose now brushed the elegant curve of her neck. "…but I also find your strange torn nature fascinating. Clearly whatever happened was between last night and today." She fisted her hands stubbornly. What did he think he was doing here? "Tell me…did the reaper say something while I was not there?" He drawled, his fingers strumming gracefully on her shoulders.

"No." She managed, placing her hands between him and herself.

"Then…?" He just gripped her hands. Ivy felt over-whelmed, he was trying to throw her off in an attempt to get information out of her. Just like Beast. This made her blood suddenly rush, like liquid fire. What an insult! She began to shake with rage, biting the inside of her cheek until she bled, her eyes were hidden from view. He immediately noted the change and raised an eyebrow.

"You…." Her voice shook. "You must think me so _low, _so beneath your level to attempt such an insulting trick…" Glowing cat eyes revealed themselves and she gripped his shirt, shoving him. "You may have your way when manipulating lonely circus women, but I wont stand for it! I am not an emotional little ball of entertainment, to be discarded until you show up and pull my strings! I do have my own existence to think about! There is nothing wrong with me other than the fact that all I want is for you to leave me alone! Go! Fulfill your contract! Then please leave me in peace!" He just stared unmoved.

"Circus-…?" The gears in Sebastian's head began to turn. Circus women. How very interesting.

"SHUT UP!" She stormed out, feeling completely unsatisfied. Oh she was still so angry that her head throbbed. For anger to be physically painful. "Get out of my way!" She barked at him when he was too close to her exit.

"I am not in your way am I, Miss Ivy?" The coyness in his tone annoyed her. This made her realized that she had just failed miserably to ignore him. All he had done was play the game and he'd won. Again. Still she could pat herself on the back for not saying anything…hopefully. One never knew with Sebastian. He looked very smug after all. "Nobody is stopping you. By all means…" He motioned her on her path with finesse. Suspiciously she glared at him, shying away from him as she passed. When he placed a hand on her shoulder she flinched. So tense. He cocked his head to one side.

"Are you afraid of me, little one?"

_Yes. _

When she could not respond, she felt his arms encircling her from behind and chewed her lips nervously. This was frightening in itself. It could mean anything where fire djinn were concerned. His chin rested on her shoulder. Lips brushed her ear as he murmured in a low purr. "You really are silly. Goodnight, Miss Ivy." With that he left her alone still smirking every so smugly.

* * *

Author's Note: Ah poor Ivy. I think if she realized that this was actually all my doing she would kill me till I was dead. XD! Sidenote: I HATE GOOGLE CHROME! It's not letting me sign into FF damn it! I WILL send Sebby after you people! I hope the by the time I am able to post this nobody has given up on my story! These assholes. Anywho... I hope you guyz liked it. I was a bit nervous that this would have been a little rushed since I really wanted to get this chappie out. Review yall!


	31. That Maid, In A Mood

Author's Note: I'm back ladies and germs. I expect warm welcomes filled with pastries and even admonishments filled with random acts of violence and strongly worded letters riddled with lectures. (Dodges slew of arrows and knives thrown at her) That or perhaps already forgotten. Christmas cookies galore! For I have returned from my conquest and am ready to continue my normal Kitten is Angry updates. We are getting back into the swing of things and I hope you guys enjoy it. Read and savor it. Then review if possible my loves. Can't wait to get this new chapter up! Not much Sebby/Ivy togetherness this time T.T, but its coming. Ciao!

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji and its special characters do not belong to me. In a hurry, so uh… no time to dodge the law this time. Can't believe I survived this time gap. Good thing I was spending it revising up in this hizzy xD. Ciel forbade me from using that word under his roof anymore but he doesn't gotta know, besides he ain't _my _young master. :P

**Chapter Thirty One: That Maid, In A Mood**

_"What makes the pain we feel from shame and jealousy so cutting is that vanity can give us no assistance in bearing them." _– Francois de La Rochefoucauld

"It seems the fever has dropped." Sebastian murmured, his hand placed over his young master's forehead. Soma, it seemed, had already collapsed in the middle of the night during his vigilant nursing of the boy. Beside his elbow rested another of his ridiculous caricatures. Apparently of… -Siva?- according to the tired scribble scrawled across the top of it. The butler paid him no mind, as he was none of his concern. "His respiratory sounds are normal too and his color has improved immensely since yesterday." He noted.

Agni was a few paces away from the door, making his way in to check on the adolescent. He leaned over the opposite side of the bed with a warm smile to have a look at the boys. "It is a relief isn't it?" Soma's snores were light and easily ignored thank goodness. Sebastian hummed decisively before smiling to himself.

"They say sleep is the best medicine for humans. Let's not wake him yet." He declared watching the young earl's breaths grow more and more steady. He would be better recovered in no time, extra sleep would more than do him good. Agni seemed to readily agree as he nodded simply, moving to hover over the prince.

"Yes. Ciel sir has had a trying time with work it appears. Prince Soma was most concerned over his state. I am glad his wisdom prevailed and we convinced him to stay the night and rest, or God knows what may have befallen him." It was strange how devoted the tall Indian was to the youth. If anything it was Agni's reasoning that resulted in the young master being prevailed upon by the household. Then afterwards it was due to Miss Ivy's maternal attention, 'tough love' as she called it, that the young master ceased his complaints.

This sway she'd had surprised the butler. Could it be perhaps… that after these years of being without such treatment had caused the young master to somehow miss it? She had scolded him, reprimanded him, and treated him very much like her own child last night, making sure he ate. He had responded negatively naturally but it triggered a more resigned and sulky mood from him.

"…And of course I can not overlook how well Miss Ivy took control of the situation after she gained our help." Agni's statement drew the butler's attention. She what?

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh yes. She confided to the Prince and I how worried she was over his illness and of course my benevolent master quickly offered her his help in the matter since he had, had similar concerns." He informed cheerfully. Sebastian had the urge to smirk at the realization. How manipulative of her, and she hadn't even had to lift a finger in the end. "I wonder that she is not yet awake." His Indian companion continued to speak, carefully heaving the young monarch onto his back with his arms around his neck.

"She usually is." He commented headed out the door with Agni close behind. "I'm afraid she has a rather dreadful problem with nightmares however. It cuts into her sleep. For a while it seemed as though the problem had vanished but it seems to have reemerged for one reason or another." Politely he paused to shut the door behind them.

"Chronic nightmares are often the result of very real concerns. Perhaps for a while she felt safer at Ciel sir's manor and for whatever reason, that assurance is somehow gone now. Or maybe it is the change in environment. I'm sure she doesn't come to the townhouse often." Agni offered several reasonable explanations. He became oddly silent as if thinking his words through before speaking up again. "Perhaps something happened to make her feel somehow insecure, each time she has returned here, she has behaved more and more downtrodden. And she wouldn't speak directly to me about it."

"Oh?" Something dark passed over the butler's face momentarily as he recalled how she'd flung her arms about the other servant and cleaved to his side for practically the rest of the evening. The demon picked up his pace to walk ahead of his fellow servant. Still… whatever had been the problem, she had not seen fit to discuss it with even Agni. This meant that there was a border of information that she refused to say to anybody and that meant that the problem stemmed beyond the emotional distress she was always so willing to confide to the other man. It couldn't be anything to do with her being half demon –although keeping silent about that would be understandable in their circumstances- otherwise she wouldn't have a problem saying it to the demon butler. She never had an issue with telling him why she was angry with him before. What was different now?

Agni seemed to notice the silence and awkwardly spoke up again after some thought. "Um… Mister Sebastian." He called his attention. "I'm sorry for being so forward and yelling so loudly at you yesterday." Soma still hadn't moved, but his dead weight didn't seem to deter the tall white haired man. The demon butler looked at him over his shoulder.

"Not at all." He assured. "It was a deeply interesting point and good guidance." The foreigner's face broke into a relieved and flustered smile at the compliment.

"You shouldn't say such things." He countered modestly. "For me to give guidance… I think Mister Sebastian is a far more perfect butler than I am!" The compliment however was short-lived before another voice interrupted them hastily.

"But you're too mean!" Rust met gold as both servants froze and stared blankly at one another for a split second.

"Eh?" Suddenly Agni's demeanor was immediately repentant and agitated with himself. "Pr-…Prince! Did I wake-"

"I'M SLEEPING!" He insisted, not removing his head from Agni's shoulder, clearly fearful of criticizing Ciel's still very scary butler. Apparently not even his fear of Sebastian could stop him from being his usual obnoxious self. The butler raised an eyebrow watching them twitch amongst themselves. "The one talking right now is Agni!" Ah, so his reasoning was such that if Agni was the one who said it, the butler might listen. The young man nudged for his servant to lip-sync for him. Did he really think him that dense? Agni was more puzzled by his request than anything else.

"Ehhh?" He sweat-dropped, as his golden irises darted nervously between his friend and the master's head resting on his right shoulder. Never the less he went along with it as the prince proceeded to explain himself 'through' Agni. Sweat dropping, he moved his lips as the boy's voice continued on.

"Compared to me, you're not nice to your master at all." Not nice? He never recalled being particularly warm but what on earth was he on about? Humans were so strange. He was honestly not certain that he wished to hear further elaboration but curiosity seemed to get the better of his judgment.

"Not… nice?" He made an odd face.

"Exactly." Soma was encouraged but still wouldn't lift his head, dark waves of his hair bobbing when he nodded. "Ciel is still a child! He is at the age where you want to be fawned over and cuddled by your parents all day when you have a cold." He stated. "But he doesn't have parents. That's not saying that I had anything like that, but…" The boy trailed, seemingly not noticing that he had switched to referring to himself in the first person, despite Agni's ridiculous lip-syncing.

"I had grandpa, and Meena who fawned over me completely and were nice to me. That's why…" And now was when he forgot his fear and looked up at the black clad butler. "You should be nice to him and fawn over him with all your might. Okay, be nice!" With his not so subtle statement complete his fear came crashing back down and he plopped off of Agni's back and bolted down the hall, with his heart pounding in his ears. Agni watched him leave and gushed, moved to near tears by his master's actions.

"Priiince! What a kind heart!"

Meanwhile the butler watched as well, except in contemplative silence.

….

Long lashes and dark eyes continued to be barely able to look any of the woman's comrades and childhood friends in the eye. It seemed that forgetting was no longer in the cards and every shadow seemed to snicker at her and close in, whispering the true extent of what she had done. Her dreams had been vague but disturbing ever since that night. Sleep was elusive when she wasn't dreaming, something was terribly wrong and Beast often found herself staring up at the hanging beads on her tent ceiling. Irritation at everything then distracted her from how tired she really was. Irritation: With the circus, with 'father', with her friends, with her silly leopard pelt blankets, with herself…with bloody_ Joker._ She felt…changed somehow and not in a good way… smaller, dirtier…more vulnerable. So much for being a fierce beast.

Perhaps it was a guilty conscience, she desperately needed to talk to Joker. Having sent Doll out the night before, the truth was eating Beast up inside. They could always meet up with him afterwards but… she didn't want to for one reason or another. All of this waiting was making her antsy.

Everyone had been busy packing since last night and Beast was sure that she was nowhere near properly finished. Still she could seem to care about it all that much, kneeling before her open, half filled trunk. In her hand she grasped the frame containing a photograph that each of them had been given so long ago. Staring down at the image normally gave her a temporary bittersweet escape from reality once in a while. This time though, looking at the faces of all her childhood friends with… _that man _there was a sour…bitter taste in her mouth. What was wrong with her?

What's worse… nobody seemed to even notice how she was feeling. It almost hurt that they were so focused with the 'ring master's' dirty work that they didn't even have time to think about one another anymore.

"Aren't you done packing yet?" A small but authoritative voice piped up from the entrance of her tent. Beast gave a start and turned her gaze sharply over her shoulder to catch the sight of Wendy, standing there with an odd expression as she held open the flap. Her small form looked all bundled up and prepared for the trip… or at least as much so as Wendy would get. Costuming was all that they seemed to know to do. Beast's fallen countenance returned at this thought.

"Ah, sorry…" She murmured in soft self-admonishment though there was no feeling behind it this time. She wasn't really that sorry and felt like a petulant child for it. Wendy said nothing in response to make the dark haired woman think she'd caught on however. She just strode right in, wordlessly approaching. Absorbing the silence Beast again worked up some nerve.

"…Wendy…" She cautiously began and turned to face her completely from her place on the ground beside the foot of her bed. Her eyes gazed at the older woman entreatingly. "Won't we wait for Joker after all?" The small woman's eyes betrayed her surprise at Beast bringing this up again. "I really have to talk to him about something." The leather clad young woman felt herself break out into a mild cold sweat and she cast down her eyes.

From where she stood, Wendy raised an eyebrow. "If we wait until we get caught we'll lose everything. Can't you talk to him once this job is finished?"

'Yeah, yeah… once we finish our latest callous murdering spree you mean.' Beast caught herself thinking this and her breath hitched. The little circus woman seemed to pick up on it and she leaned over to place a concerned hand on her shoulder. "You've been acting kinda weird since yesterday, did something happen?" The softness in her voice did nothing to soothe the younger woman in the tent.

Black. Black. Black. Yes. Black. Dark, manipulative, stifling, opportunistic, predatory, grasping, wretched… blackness. No better word could ever portray that. Feeling sick, Beast prayed that Wendy could not see the guilt in her eyes. "Don't worry." Her voice broke her out of it. "You will be able to meet with him tomorrow."

_Jam today… jam tomorrow. _Her head jerked with a bounce of dark curls only to find… shadows seemed to taunt her more vividly… was she hearing voices? Wendy walked away and Beast remained ever silent the remaining time she packed.

….

The early morning had been groggy for the neko, her exhaustion more due to her spent emotions and sudden plague of nightmares. Ever since the circus she'd had them again it seemed, though maybe it was too early to say. She had considered taking shifts with Prince Soma to watch over the bed ridden Ciel, but then became paranoid about her fur, thinking perhaps she might unintentionally make him worse. This weighed out any concern she had for the Bengali Prince's bed rest.

Fortunately the town house wasn't nearly as big as the manor back in the main estate. Agni and Sebastian dominated most of the house duties. She practically had nothing to do. It was almost as if they didn't want her around, which upset her all the more. Pink lips pursed into a pout that a certain demon would be disappointed to know he had missed. There was a saying that warned against the dangers of idle hands 'one never knows what they may pursue' and all that. Well… Ivy's fingers were starting to itch which was not usually a good thing. She needed something to do with herself.

Somehow it felt as if she was missing something, she hadn't much time to think too hard on it however as the thought occurred to her that she had never gone exploring in the Earl's townhouse. Now would be as good a time as any to take advantage of this opportunity. How many rooms were in here? Ivy's footfalls were barely noticeable to humans and so the plush rug in the hall cushioned them further so that she went basically unheard on her way.

She could feel all the other presences in the house congregate in Ciel's bedchamber so it seemed that this way she probably wouldn't have to explain her poking around. Not that it mattered anyway. It was only exploring really and it wasn't as though this were a cursed tomb filled with booby traps or forbidden artifacts. Unlike when she had been a little girl, there were no restricted places for her to play. It felt odd that she should come to grips with such freedom now of all times… when she was supposed to feel like a hostage by all accounts. Why _didn't_ she? The Earl had been fair in his treatment of her she couldn't deny that, but still she was obligated to stay here either way. This idea should be making her restless and antsy. She should feel trapped. Like a tiger in a cage.

Instantly her thoughts were brought back to the large majestic beast kept locked away in a cage barely big enough for her to stand in. Immediately her state of mind was forgotten and there was a sinking feeling in her chest. She had toyed with the idea of doing something about the big cat's unjust state of captivity, even to the point of telling her she might have someday come to her aid. Of course Betty had not taken her seriously for an instant seeing as her form was merely that of a manor kitten, but still if Ivy could have found any opportunity and means to go through with it, she would have instantly.

Sadly no such opportunity existed, there was not even a way for her to simply leave this townhouse and such a matter would be of no concern to Ciel or Sebastian. Not to mention, neither would consider it worth their time.

Also, she couldn't buy the tiger or afford its passage back to India. Two blinks. She berated herself for the brief silly notion as soon as it ghosted across her mind. Ha, quite a misadventure such an idea could turn out to be for her. It was almost tempting but the odds were not enough in her favor. Heaving a sigh she folded her arms and frowned at the environment. Soma was right… this townhouse was too damn narrow. She could imagine the wide-open extravagance that the foreign prince was accustomed to.

None of the rooms really seemed worth looking at for very long. They were all nearly the same in structure and design. Of course the guest rooms were significantly lovelier than the servants chambers. Still Ivy couldn't imagine finding anything worth examining in any of them, just a series of ordinary bedrooms. The master bedroom was none of her concern right now; she had already been in and out several times. Besides, even if she hadn't… Mister Michaelis was in there at the moment.

Yes, she was still angry with him and he knew it too, thus she avoided him and his haranguing. He was not the type to allow her to ignore him, nor did he seem to be able to take 'no' for a bloody answer. In fact Ivy swore that if he did not have work to do, or a contract on his priority list that he would have already pinned her in some dark secluded place and extracted the reason for her ire through whatever means of blackmail or extortion that he might turn against her. Or something equally dastardly.

Ivy was relieved to finally come across something that sparked her curiosity. If it turned out to be nothing she would simply slink her way into the library. This room however seemed to be so closed off from the rest of the house as if nobody had been in there in over a decade. All of the curtains were pulled and it was completely dark. She breezed her way to the window and boldly drew the heavy ornate drapes to allow light to spill into the room. By doing so she discovered that she had come across the powder room. Ah, so that would explain why Ciel never felt the need to use it.

Normally she would have just walked out disinterestedly but the fact that this powder room had been abandoned meant that the last person to ever stand here must have been the former lady of the house; Lady Rachel Phantomhive. Was the smell that permeated the air here hers? If she tried hard enough could she feel the remnants of her presence? Probably no to the latter but she was so very curious to know who the Phantomhives were before their disastrous end was met. Could any insight be found here? Slender fingers moved over the surface of an old, slightly dusty vanity with a large mirror. How many servants did there use to be working for the late Earl? The neko wondered if the tidiness of every abandoned bauble and necessity could be attributed to the lady or the maids. A portrait on the wall sported the lady and a bright eyed little boy in a sailor suit.

Ciel… such a sweet unassuming and innocent little face he once had. He was holding onto his Mother's skirts like a lifeline. There was once a time when Ivy recalled doing just that with her mother… but it was more out of true fear than shyness. Her gaze met the likeness of the lady's laughing, blue eyes. She held a lavender parasol donned with violet satin bows at each corner and lightly accented by white lace along the edges. Her dress matched fairly well and was very lovely and trim. Blond hair was held up as was customary for older or married ladies. More conservative girls also wore their hair up. She touched her own bun absently.

"Sorry to intrude my lady Phantomhive." She murmured absently to the painting. "You must have loved that little boy so very dearly to have such a large portrait of just the two of you on your wall, hm? I wont be here much longer I promise." Placing her hands on her hips with a sigh she took another look around. Double doors in a powder room, a closet perhaps? Biting her lip she made her way over and pulled them open with a gentle creak. The light from the window shone into the space, casting a clear silhouette of the young neko on the wall in the back. To each side however were rows upon rows of colors, silks, taffeta, and lace. All were lovely and intricate.

Ivy wondered if Miss Hopkins the tailor designed Lady Rachel's gowns too, and if so… did she do all of them or did the Phantomhives branch out? They certainly had the funds to jump about to designers and tailors. Her question was answered as she fingered through the dresses and caught sight of a signature… Charles Frederick Worth. She practically snatched her hands away for an instant, thinking a street orphan may damage such an expensive thing. That man was the dressmaking legend of France! Once an amateur, he was now designing dresses for ROYALTY, despite the fact that it was unheard of for a man to design women's clothes. It seemed the late couple had an eye for spotting potential.

A small smile touched her lips as she examined a particularly lovely parasol, cream colored with turquoise ribbons and bows, and a tasteful floral pattern. Not bad, she didn't consider herself much of a fashion expert or overtly 'feminine' if such a staple on what a woman was, could be fairly applied to her sex. That didn't mean that she had no appreciation for pretty things. After all, what could be wrong with liking something pretty? She pulled it open for a better look at its design only to freeze at what she encountered within the folds of dainty lace.

Dear founder of all mercy…

It was the Mother of all house spiders!

"SON OF A B-"

….

Sebastian Michaelis was replacing the coke into the fireplaces when he heard it. A long piercing terrible sound that emanated from somewhere in the townhouse. He stood up and walked out into the hall with a frown, only to meet an equally alarmed Agni, coming around the corner. They both blinked at one another and Agni opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by another shriek of what they now both recognized as Miss Ivy's voice. Their heads shot towards the direction of the scream's origin. The reactions were instantaneous.

"Miss-!" Both had bolted in her direction, but unhesitatingly Sebastian had pushed Agni off of his path and sent him stumbling into the room that had been across the narrow hall. His sentence could not even be completed at the action. Not even a pause to apologize was given before he was gone from the Indian's sight. This caused the white haired servant to stumble back to his feet and blink, not knowing the slightest idea of what had just happened.

….

"How DARE you sneak up on me you litt–GIANT!- Eight-legged beast from the depths of hell's sewer system! Stay still and die peacefully already!" Ivy was in a panic trying to kill the hideous arachnid with the parasol in her hands. Her irrational aggression was clouding her judgment as usual and she was never quite fast enough to get a hit on it and truly honestly didn't want it to land on her somehow. In said rage she didn't even have the hope of noticing a certain demon butler standing in the now open doorway with his arms folded and a dry, mildly annoyed expression on his face. This was all the commotion? She was chasing the offending creature about swinging the dainty looking weapon with killing intent. Tilting his head, he found the concept of a parasol doubling as a weapon intriguing.

She continued her hate filled screeches as she attacked. "Don't you touch me, you filth!" This was feeling a whole lot like déjà vu about now. Perhaps it was about time he put an end to this silliness. He sighed and took a step forward and the sound quickly alerted her to his presence. In the heat of the moment however she reacted by whipping a gun from her thigh holster and spinning sharply, stopping the barrel right between his eyes with a fierce wild gaze that even he had never seen before. The demon resisted the urge to laugh and her expression dropped upon recognition. Slowly she lowered her weapon.

Her cheeks flushed a charming shade of pink. "I… I hate bugs…well –er- spiders mostly." She explained lamely with a half shrug. After an awkward moment of wordlessness he raised an eyebrow at her and she began to hastily return her firearm to its place.

"Miss Ivy, were you perhaps stung as a child?" She glared up at him at this.

"I was startled, and spiders don't sting jackass." The neko smoothed her skirts down. The feeble defensive tone in her voice made this all the more amusing.

"A spider single-handedly drew a rise of that magnitude from you? I must say I'm rather envious." He commented in mock disappointment and she stuck her tongue out at him in response. It had been a while since she'd done that, he noted. Sebastian grinned. Even now her eyes continued to dart in the direction of the loathsome thing. The butler decided to make quick work of it and in one stride his arm shot out and he crushed the poor creature. Ivy released a dragged out squeal of disgust and covered her face with both hands for about six full seconds.

"I'm not particularly fond of them myself." He stated, not particularly affected by her reaction, his mind was seemingly someplace else for the moment. Ivy shuddered and began rubbing at her arms in a severely scarred manner. Ewewewewewew! Eeeeeeeew!

"Oh Sebastian Michealis!" The protest burst from her lips. "With your HAND? You-you…UGH! HOW COULD YOU EVEN TOUCH THAT! Never mind having its bloody ENTRAILS –Okay? ENTRAILS- smeared on your palm! I think I'm going to be sick." She groaned as he simply began removing his glove casually. Internally he scoffed that human gore didn't affect her so very noticeably, but spiders and insects… 'Lord save us'. He chuckled. After everything, it seemed she was in the end very much a girl. He slipped a clean glove onto his hand. How many pairs of them did he keep and how often did he change them?

_Oh. I got them a bit dirty… _

The words echoed internally and she felt sick, expression drooping. Minty green eyes darted to the ground in self-admonishment.

"Perhaps this is your punishment for snooping about again." He teased, enjoying her indignant expression at his words. How dare he?

"I meant no harm!" She stomped her foot. "I wasn't snooping! I was simply attempting to keep myself occupied since you and Agni seemed to have everything held down quite nicely." At this she gave him a pointed look. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Since you worked so hard, had trouble sleeping properly, and were not needed, we only deemed it sensible that we allow you to sleep. I simply reasoned that you might be extra cranky otherwise." He smirked. Cranky? Ivy let out a tired sigh and folded her arms.

"I'm not five years old. I don't get cranky."

"Oh, don't you?" He responded smugly with a skeptical scoff.

"No and I don't need to be put down for naps either, you loathsome… son of a… motherless… goat." She ignored the quirk of his eyebrow.

"Ah, but you _do_ need to be cuddled at night to forget your 'bad dreams'."

"EXCUSE YOU?"

"So rude, and after I saved you from that horrid, eight legged, abomination." The demon was now calling her melodramatic. Her slender fingers reached up to massage her temples while she let out a low growl. Ivy was truly _too _cute, it was maddening how adorable she was. "Speaking of which, I believe such a valiant rescue merits some recompense." And when he swept the neko off of her feet quite literally, she let out a shriek. Wide eyes blinked up at him as he casually carried her off bridal style.

"Hey whoa! Wait a minute what are you doing?" She shouted, grasping the doorframe. The tall demon paused to smile in that plastic way that she knew meant she was in for one hell of a predicament. Pun very much intended though she would hate herself for it later.

"Why, little one, I am only planning on asking you one simple question that you have been avoiding me over since yesterday evening. On several levels." Oh. Shit. It was her worst-case scenario fear from earlier today coming to fruition wasn't it? She tried not to let all the horror dawn upon her countenance at once, but she was sure that she had gone a significant shade paler. Pushing and squirming she vehemently demanded to be released in her struggles.

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU IT WAS NOTHING!"

"I don't believe you."

"WHERE IN THE NAME OF SERIAL KILLING PANDAS ARE YOU TAKING ME? STOP!"

"There, there. I haven't done anything to you. I am asking you nicely aren't I?" Ceasing her pointless physical struggling, she began to test out cunning reasoning.

"Shouldn't the young master be heading out to track this…'Baron' creature, whose name you've finally… _acquired?" _She spat the word disdainfully, pushing away from him and maintaining a rigid posture. "You should be attending to his breakfast or something, and from what I can sense he's still in his room sleeping so what on earth do you think you're waiting for?" It was a feeble attempt at weaseling out of this, but she _was _curious as to why they hadn't gotten a move on quite yet either way.

"The young master's fever has broken and his condition has improved significantly, however Agni and I both agreed that for him to be fully recovered that we ought to let him rest for the remainder of the day." He seemed to be contemplating something but his hold remained undaunted.

"He's going to be displeased." She pushed.

"Perhaps, but by then he will be fully well for the most part. In the meantime, you and I have all day to talk about this 'mood' of yours." His grin seriously made her fear for her immediate safety.

"I would so love… to**_ end _**you. Right now." Her eyes stung at the humiliation of her utter helplessness. It was then that she refused to look at him.

"You left your hair loose." He voiced. Ivy deemed it best not to explain to him that it had just accidently come loose on its own during her epic battle against her fuzzy, multiple limbed arch nemesis back there. Instead she found herself flustered by his tone. "It suits you." Fingers curled a dark strand around them, the pure blackness contrasting sharply against the white glove. Ivy had long ago decided as a child that her hair was her greatest asset but she was not looking to draw any more attention than necessary. The neko suddenly felt like she was in a dire situation and gave him a sharp piercing glare. Shields up, claws out!

"Don't you try to get around me with your shameless flattery." She warned, meanwhile he easily carted her down the hall in his arms. "I don't take kindly to being mistaken for a silly, air headed, **child**. Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" 'How many times have you successfully employed this tactic on others?' It was a quick thought. Nevertheless it still managed to inspire yet another sickened sensation in her gut. Abruptly, -seemingly out of nowhere- she began to fight him viciously. "Let go…urgh! Let-…**_How-dare-you-_** TOUCH MEEEEE!" She shrieked.

Much to her relief before he could form a response there was the sound of ringing as they passed. Rusty eyes frowned he his head turned in that direction. The telephone... somebody was calling.

'May Alexander Graham Bell be praised, blessed, and loved by all who meet him forever and always for his wonderful, beautiful, inspirational, _lifesaver, _of an invention. And may he have his own holiday, annual parade, and an army of devoted worshipers. Son of a bitch that was too close!' She thought to herself. With a curious frown the demon gracefully lowered her onto her feet. Saved by the bell_. Alexander Graham_ Bell to be precise.

She was gracefully placed onto her feet as the butler stepped over to answer the noisy contraption. "Hello?" Ivy took this opportunity to make her attempt to slink past him but his hand caught her arm and tugged her back as if to wordlessly say 'just a moment little one.' He hadn't even needed to look at her for her to understand and she huffed loudly. "Tanaka?" He sounded mildly surprised to hear from the former head butler. He rarely seemed to emerge in his usual professional form. What had the servants done now? Sebastian's face filled with understanding and Ivy was very suddenly pulled closer, allowing him to pin her by the shoulders under his arm, close to his side as he rummaged in his tailcoat for something.

Ivy growled and pushed at his torso stubbornly, but of course he gave it no importance. She would swear that he could feel her heart racing in her chest. "Ah, yes…yes." He murmured. A pen emerged in one hand as well as a little black book in the other. Did he carry everything in that monkey suit of his? Perhaps his pockets contained portals to other dimensions where he stored all things that he may need to keep handy on him. Wow, that would explain so much. "Certainly. I'll pass on the message." He scribbled on the crisp little pages as though he would actually need it. He really did take this whole butler's role thing to an unhealthy level. "Thank you." He hung up and returned his attention to his little captive.

"Well then, little one… it seems-"

"What did Tanaka need to call for?" She sounded more concerned than she had planned to. He gave her a pointed look.

"I was going to say –before you interrupted- that it seems we have a situation back at the manor." Subject barely avoided. The statement was an odd one, because normally he would be twitching, silently beside himself. Perhaps it was the calm before a never before seen storm. What had happened?

"I figured as much." Ivy stated cautiously. "Has anything irreplaceable been destroyed?" He released her with a sigh.

"Nothing of that magnitude, fortunately and surprisingly. However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you home ahead of us early, as Miss Elizabeth has decided to pay a surprise visit. She is dead set on not leaving until the young master gets home." He explained. Ivy raised her own eyebrow now. Well Ciel was bound to have a very interesting reaction to this new development.

"What has that to do with me?"

"It would simply be wiser to have you there to keep their antics under control in her presence, she could very easily help them get carried away which is always a recipe for disaster as you know. Due to our investigation of Baron Kelvin it would be best to send you ahead of us to maintain some order in the Lady Elizabeth's presence." Oh come on! Ivy gave an exasperated huff of breath.

"Don't they have Tanaka? Can't I go with _you_?" She whined, shaking his sleeve and not at all caring about her dignity for the moment. Never once in her entire acquaintance with the demon did she think that she would ever say this sentence to him.

"I'm afraid not." He seemed about as unimpressed with her argument as she was but hey she was grasping at straws here.

"But its such a long trip and-… Oh fine!" She threw his arm back at him noticing the look in his eye. "Useless." Her tongue stuck out at him again. The stern line of his mouth curved slightly in amusement.

"Your trip, Miss Ivy, shall be by coach."

"Don't you two need it? How will you get to the Baron's estate?" She reasoned.

"Are there not hansom cabs for hire, we have to take the train, first class tickets have already been purchased." He didn't notice the slight glow of longing in her eyes at the thought of a new experience like riding a steam engine, and she quickly squashed it before he could. "Besides it would take far too long for you to reach Phantomhive estate on foot and the horse cannot make our trip without exhausting himself. You underestimate my capability to provide my master with transportation."

"I can't go alone!" She protested. "An unaccompanied lady driving a coach. As unreasonable as I feel human society is about prohibiting such a thing, it would still be troublesome and would likely draw unwanted attention to the Earl-…" Ivy paused, a solution coming to her mind. Her pinky worried her bottom lip thoughtfully, -as Sebastian noticed she tended to do when she schemed- a pink flush on her cheeks. "Do you suppose Soma would mind loaning me Agni perhaps?" Sebastian frowned down at her, though it sounded reasonable enough.

"Miss-"

"Oh you're right! Soma is a hopeless case without his butler around, who knows the sort of trouble he'd get into without Agni here." She paced in deep contemplation. Placing her hands on the dresser where the phone rested, she tapped her nails rhythmically on the wooden surface.

"Perhaps I will simply have to explain the situation to them." Sebastian responded. Ivy turned to face him.

"Oh no, there is no need. Allow me. I'm sure it will be fine this one time."

"Humoring the notion out of sheer curiosity: Why?" His hands clasped behind his back. Green eyes gleamed with something that was not quite wicked but interesting nonetheless.

"I think we can both agree on my persuasiveness. You just worry about the young master and his current aim, yes? It is all a matter of appealing to the young prince's ego." Minx. He smirked despite his disapproval. "Have a good afternoon, Mister Michaelis." Ivy added hastily, wanting to end her discussion with him. Taking a step away, she stopped cautiously when he caught her hand, not wanting to lose her balance.

"This doesn't mean I've forgotten." He intoned meaningfully, thumb rubbing her knuckles slowly and deliberately. The neko snatched her hand away and huffed, wiping it against her apron. His hands were not particularly her favorite thing to ponder on at the moment.

"I don't know what you mean." She responded. "Do not concern yourself with arrangements, the three of us will work something convenient out. Anyway! So then, see you at home." Hurrying off, she wanted to kill herself for almost tripping on her own shoe in her careless haste. Sebastian watched her go with a smirk. 'Home she says' He chuckled internally. A quick hand on her shoulder and he was playing with her hair again.

"Not so fast, little one. Really, like a little hummingbird today all flutter and go. Have you been practicing your scales?" He reminded making her deflate and groan. Oh yes… she was to perform the damsel very soon. Ugh times infinity to the infinite power! Taking a proud step forward, shrugging away from his touch she turned to face him.

"Yes, Mister Michealis, as a matter of fact I _have._" She informed him proud that she could claim that much. He was forcing her to interact more and it was annoying. Was this entire humiliating spider fiasco not enough for him?

"Let me hear it." And with a sigh she obliged with a sweet trill of notes in one of her favorite sequences.

"Very good. Off with you then."

"Hmph." Finally she could leave, and now with a decently dignified exit. He chuckled.

"Take care." His tone did nothing to hide the smugness he was exuding.

….

When one falls asleep on a late afternoon or sleeps in for most of the day, there sometimes follows that drowsy confusion in which you have completely forgotten what goddamned day it is. Ciel Phantomhive was no exception to that little human quirk. Thus when he opened his eyes to the darkness of evening in his canopy bed, it took him a moment or so to properly process what was going on. The dampness of his sheets was the first thing to register and he fed from there. Ah, yes he had been sick and the damned household had forced him to bed. He had been in such a rush too what with the-…wait. Why was it still so dark in here? Had slept so little?

"Hn." He managed a soft sound and finally uttered the word trying his darnedest to ask the question aloud. "_Dark_?" His mind worked over the possibilities and the smell of dinner wafted to his nose. What. The. Hell.

Instantly he shot up in bed as though he'd never been healthier. "**What time is it now?**" He bellowed, sitting upright in his damp nightshirt. The sudden chill in the room went ignored.

"It is 7:14 p.m." A smooth familiar voice responded dutifully. "You finally woke up I see." Sebastian stood beside his bed. A candle lit cart bearing a tray and a covered silver platter flickering the reflection of the quivering flames stood innocently at the bedside as well. His butler always managed to look all the more imposing when partially obscured in darkness. Not that such a thing was unexpected or uncommon, but him being what he truly was somehow pricked at the back of his mind and added to the eerie sight. A sight that looked so ordinary to any outside party.

He watched him wordlessly. "Why didn't you wake me?" He demanded in exasperation as the demon stooped over to drape the boy's coat over his apparently shaking shoulders.

"It was a decision based on the fact that butlers should think about their master's health first." Something twitched in Ciel's brain angrily.

"Huh?" Bugger not this healthy master tripe again! Seemingly undaunted by his young master's reaction, Sebastian continued to creep his young master out as his speech continued. With a flourish he lifted the silver dome shaped cover that concealed the little earl's meal to reveal two rich looking dishes served upon china and a dessert to go with them.

"Today's dinner is a milk risotto with three variants of mushroom with pork, and wine pot-au-feu." He explained mechanically with a friendlier tone than necessary. Ciel's upper lip curled suspiciously. "Dessert will be an apple compote draped with yoghurt." All of these odd subtle differences in his behavior paled to utter insignificance however after what happened next. "Well then, young master…" He trailed lifting the porcelain dish from the cart he reached over with a spoon as if he expected him to... "Say ahhhh…" Oh God Why. Ciel Phantomhive COMPLETELY lost his cool.

"ZZWWOOOAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Needless to say Sebastian was plenty startled, giving him enough time to regain his bearings enough to call him out.

"Ah, is it hot?"

"JUST WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO BE!" He demanded to know his servant's reasoning behind this behavior.

"I will cool it down for you." He blew on the spoon and Ciel just about had his fill of life and was certain he was on the verge of a thirteen-year-old stroke.

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW! THAT'S AN ORDER!" He snapped, feeling his skin crawling. "Explain yourself!" The boy sternly demanded, his voice hurting from the excursion of his vocal chords.

"Master Soma said patients are things to fawn over completely and be nice to. Does it not please you?" Ciel blinked at him in horrified astonishment as if contemplating his words in a moment before glaring.

"I don't need your fawning. _Its disgusting." _His emphatic tone would have offended anyone else but Sebastian did not seem to mind.

"Is that so? Well then I apologize." To continue on with breakfast like nothing creepy had just taken place had been quite difficult on its own; never mind eating such a large meal after just being sick. Still the boy managed well enough and was soon ready to get changed out of his nightshirt, which needed a good washing from all the sweating of the previous night. That would be taken care of in due time. A bath and fresh change of clothes later and Ciel stood good as new in front of his kneeling butler who fastened the buttons on his vest.

"By the way." The dark servant spoke. "At about four today I received a call from Tanaka. It seems that Lady Elizabeth has seized the main house and is there as we speak." He informed breezily. Ciel stiffened.

"What!?" He demanded as if he hadn't heard him properly already. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner!" Sebastian simply fetched his coat with perfect finesse as his young master panicked.

"I wanted the young master to eat his dinner with ease. If you do not chew well then the nutrition rate goes down." He murmured and held out the coat for the boy to stick his arms into the sleeves. Said boy twitched and glared but did so anyway.

"Hey. Don't get carried away with the advice of that peaceful idiot pair." He referred quite obviously to Prince Soma and his faithful servant.

"It seems that Lady Elizabeth has no intention of going home before seeing you." Sebastian explained with open humor in his voice. "Due to these circumstances I've taken the liberty of sending Miss Ivy homeward ahead of us. To minimize damage done in the little miss's presence." Something in his tone was always teasing whenever he mentioned the girl. Ciel huffed tiredly; there was a disaster awaiting his arrival at the manor. Well at least their little tag-along was no longer an issue. Ivy proved beneficial often enough but in the Baron's house, she would very well let her impulsiveness get the better of her.

"So that is why I haven't heard her singing and prancing about as she does her duties." He commented, pulling his black kid gloves into place. Sebastian beamed and Ciel suppressed a shudder. "Geez. You've researched Baron Gelwin's home right?" A small hand reached out for the top hat that appeared readily in his butler's hands.

"Yes, seeing as there was plenty of time to do so." The demonic servant replied dutifully. "It is approximately a one day's ride by railway out of London."

"If its an order. You can make it within an hour can't you?" The tone in his still young but slightly husky voice was suddenly very dark. Sebastian made no move to contradict him. "Lets end this quickly and return to the main house."

"Yes, My Lord."

….

An Ashcroft tracker needed to be the finest of the clan in order to precede his family's name and reputation as the best warriors in their 'pride' of sorts. Still the skills of this kitsune sitting by his side far out-weighed his. No other creature –whether sprite like, or demonic- had ever rivaled him, even among his own kind. "We have stalled quite a bit… do you suppose he suspects us of ulterior motives?" He heard him speak from under his large drooping hood. Green eyes regarded his back.

"Concerned, Shin?" His tone was teasing. "The hunting of the human girl held off the progress of the hunting party well enough so far not to worry, besides if we die, we die together." His green eye gleamed in amusement.

"I'm not doing any of this for **_you._**" The fox sprite hissed lividly in response to the statement. He was surprisingly serious from what he once remembered him to be. The ever-grinning, wild-eyed creature with a twisted sense of humor and an incurable thirst for all things entertaining and fun was gone.

"Ah yes, I'm aware of your personal motives. I would hope however that you realize that we both share an ultimate aim, and not to let your vendettas get in the way. You always used to be so quick with a joke, Shin."

"You would know." He reminded him of their many humiliating encounters in the past.

"Ah well as you once said… 'How can you pull a jolly joke, if you can't take one?'"

"You assume I've lost my sense of humor." He could see one of Shin's eyes gleaming from under his hood as he raised his head over his shoulder slightly. "Double cross me, Ashcroft… and I will show you just how funny I can still be." He promised.

"Oh no doubt of it, but to be fair that is big talk seeing as I spared your life out in that blizzard. Never forget it."

"You'll never let me."

"Exactly! You're still such a quick study."

"There is a special place in the raging pits for creatures like you."

"You flatter me, fox. Don't you worry about Jet Bercarius… he is exactly where we need him to be: Ignorant."

* * *

Author's Note: Okay so this ended up being more of a filler chapter than anything else and I'm rather upset about it since I had wanted to put in some musings about Ivy and Sebastian through Ciel's POV but it didn't work out. I am also in a hurry to get on with the story line AND show some real jealous Sebby time. Okay so if anyone has anything to say about this then feel free to review. I'm so happy with my reviews and never expected that this fic would be this well received thank you all so very mucho grande with a syrup covered cherry on top. Next chapter I promise I'll try to move my original plot further. Don't wanna drag it out further than I must. Anyway like I said: Review :3.


	32. That Maid, House Sitting

Author's Note: Next Chapter has begun. Alright so I'm ending the Circus Arc finally. Hopefully it will be done at least in the next chapter. Because if there is one thing I have learned from the latest Kuroshitsuji manga update, it's that I hate dragged out arcs. Smdh! Writing the invasion of the manor with Ivy being a present factor shall take some planning but if you're reading these then it no longer matters. I hope the last chapter was enjoyable, and that this chapter will also be likewise enjoyable. I don't really have much to say so I'll just skip onto the disclaimer and move on folks.

Disclaimer: Nope. No snarky disclaimer this time. All is well. I don't own Kuroshitsuji or its canon characters. I only own my original plot and my OC. Yes I am still trapped until I finish this story and yes I am still a hostage. Nothing new.

**Chapter Thirty-Two: That Maid, House Sitting**

_"Anger and Jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than Love." _–George Eliot

"Miss Ivy…it isn't necessary for you to keep me company up here. It must be troublesome for you. Please sit in the coach and relax." Agni coaxed good-naturedly. The young lady simply shook her head decisively with a soft sigh. The drive was lovely so far and there was no reason for her to feel uncomfortable to sit in the front with Agni. He was a walk in the park on all levels, perfectly pleasant and trustworthy.

"It is absolutely no trouble at all, Agni. I sit up front with Mister Michaelis all the time anyway." She assured. "I am more than relaxed." Her words rang with nothing but the truth; after all it was a great big breath taking relief that she was headed back to the main house now that everything was settled.

Being alone with just Ciel and Sebastian proved to be a most exhausting experience when they were dead set on a chaotic case of theirs. A part of her –much to her dismay- found their company to be rather engaging as they were both sharp quick-witted intellectuals who thought well on their feet. Sometimes it was good to have someone about who could give her a run for her money. However, a much-needed break from their antics was necessary.

At her words the dark-skinned servant seemed to contemplate something for a moment or two. "I am happy you are at ease." He smiled politely followed by a pregnant pause. "You must be well accustomed to it then. Perhaps you even prefer it by now." Ivy's brow furrowed slightly at the sudden odd atmosphere and the knowing tone of his voice. She shifted in her seat to get more comfortable and smoothed out her skirts.

"Well partly I suppose, but to be honest I just haven't been myself these past few days. I find that no matter how low I feel, I can always forget about my troubles and ill humors for a while with you around." The neko kicked her legs back and forth from her perch. "I feel that you don't care how silly, crazy, and improper I appear and I don't have to be afraid of you thinking any less of me. I wish I were so accepting. I thought I was accepting but-… I'm babbling." She stopped herself, sighing and twiddling her fingers.

"Miss Ivy, we both agree you have nothing to worry about from a humble servant such as myself." Agni laughed good-naturedly at her awkward flustered behavior. "Relax and just sort out what you wish to say before you say it." Ugh, to be treated like a funny little child. It was a common enough occurrence with non-humans, but Agni? Crap. It was not as though she felt particularly shy with him. Her nervousness was purely the result of trying to find the words to explain herself without him asking her to talk about the situation that had her so moody in the first place. Watch dog duty was to be kept on the low obviously and she could not say anything that would potentially compromise the true nature of whom –of what- she and Sebastian truly were. Then flickered the root of her line of reasoning. Simple and understandable…but most of all it was cleverly vague in a disguised sort of way.

"Agni… ultimately you are literally the only man who has ever approached me with the sole intent of gaining my trust and friendship without scheming or just hoping for something else. And so I feel secure in your midst and I can forget why I despise the world so much, am I making any sense?" She explained. The gentle spirited Indian frowned ever so slightly.

"The only man?" It seemed that he had difficulty believing her. Golden eyes searched hers. "Certainly there are many who would appreciate your spirit."

"That would be beside the point. It is not always necessarily done maliciously, some did genuinely think me admirable but still wanted more from me than I was able and willing to give to them. Not you, you don't expect anything from me." It was still rather cold out so that when the two spoke they could see one another's breath puffing out on the wind. Agni smiled and patted her head like one would a fond child.

"Surely you don't believe that. Is it so difficult to imagine the possibility that there could be _one _from among those men whose wish is to make you happy?"

Ivy laughed lightly. "Agni you sound so horrifyingly sappy and cliché right now. But nope. Not one… well maybe partly for the rare few, but no." She folded her arms confidently, her smile fading to a mellow half smile. She seemed to be so at peace with such a concept and yet seeking a brief break from it in the form of his company. He looked to the cobbled street ahead of them again momentarily before resuming their discussion.

"So is that what has been upsetting you?" The tone and delivery of the question was innocent enough but the statement was so perceptive that Ivy looked him straight in the eye, suddenly serious.

"Why w-"

"A thousand apologies if I am mistaken, Miss Ivy." The male servant raised his hands hastily, assuring his good intent. "I just assumed that maybe you were seeking some words of wisdom since you have been more and more sullen each time I have seen you these past days. Then you said that you wished for my company because I had no hopes or expectations of you. It upsets you to feel this way… so you sat with me to forget it for just a while didn't you? So then… it must be this that is saddening you now and everyday as of recent." He explained.

Ivy smiled slightly.

"Agni, very few men are as intuitive as you are. God I hate how wise and all knowing you always manage to seem. It must be the Brahman's blood in you." She teased elbowing him. "You notice so much."

"Please do not say such things I haven't been included among my caste in many years." Agni admonished lightly through a modest smile. "You give me too much credit, it was plain to see how low your spirits were all this time. I'm not the only one who notices these things you know. Sebastian sir mentioned-"

_"Hisssssssssssssss!" _The noise made by the young woman beside him, made Agni blanche momentarily.

"Mist-"

"**_Hiiissssssssssss!_**_" _Ivy didn't look like she was hissing at him, considering she was covering her ears and shaking her head, refusing to look at him. Still by the livid gleam that played across her face, the Indian could tell that he ought not take such an approach to Miss Ivy's problem. "I'm not here to think about my afflictions in greater depth than I already have been." Golden eyes regarded her carefully at her statement before the dark skinned man smiled once more. Of course.

"…Are we going to talk of pineapples this time?"

"What? ...Oh! Hahaha!"At this Ivy found herself laughing. "Pffft! No Agni, no need to worry, no new fruits." She recalled her earlier silliness with a shake of her head, face palming. No new fruits, just that same blasted watermelon.

…

"Beast looks so gloomy… do you think something happened last night?" Wendy watched her younger friend with concern as she voiced her thoughts to her partner Peter. He raised a light eyebrow at her with a serious expression. They had little time to concern themselves with sour moods due to intergroup relationships. Sure it _might _have been affect her performance in a fight, but Beast had never allowed her moods to affect her fights before. Why would she start now? At first he shrugged, but upon allowing his gaze to follow Wendy's to the busty woman's rigid tenseness he couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern himself.

"…We'll sort it out after this job." He decided. Dagger having heard the conversation looked up ahead to where Beast had made sure to stay during the trip. She had been purposely keeping a distance. He could see that she was extra rigid, and a bit more solemn than usual. Nobody could have noticed it more quickly than the knife thrower, who had always watched her every move with all the ardent adoration and attentiveness of a man in love for as long as he had lived and breathed. She could never truly hide anything from him though he often allowed himself to play the fool. Granted Beast had always put up a front to shield the truth of her soft, fragile, gentle soul, but this was different.

He could see it so well, she looked so down trodden, so distracted… but mostly she looked… afraid. Dagger hadn't seen her so afraid since those days in the slums. Immediately he blocked away those thoughts and replaced it with a mental image of Prince Albert falling down the stairs. Hahaha pricless. There was absolutely no way that those memories could help him anymore. He buried those feelings the way he always had, through a façade of humor and silliness. Laughing always made him feel better for as long as he could remember. Maybe…maybe that might help cheer up big sis. Content with his new mission he made to approach the distressed young woman.

In the meantime Beast kept ahead, remaining almost completely unaware of her surroundings. The shadows hung about her like a fog all of last night and today, and she was certain that she was losing her mind. At first it just felt like a heavy burden of guilt but it was too intense now. Something was beyond not right anymore. All she could do was go through the motions and hope to get this job over with soon. It was difficult enough to sort through the tumult of guilt, horror, abandonment, and self-disgust she was feeling without the watchdog was breathing down their necks. More than difficult, it was downright impossible! So after all was taken care of that night, she could focus on…this. She could still hear them. Those snickers, brought of her own imagining. They had to be figments of her imagination; there was no other explanation. Oh, her mind felt so oppressed and tired…and on edge. Beast had never considered herself a paranoid sort of person but after what she had done… -oh it was all so messed up! Last night had done something to her that was irreversible; it was like she had been forever branded. To be left without a single shred of hope for safety or happiness to ever come. It was like waiting for…something that was going to happen. Something bad.

"Hey, Big Sis!"

The crack of her whip was barely registered as she shouted, and her energetic friend barely dodged her reflexive assault. His boyish face faltered and his eyes shined briefly with surprise and hurt, but he quickly bounced back with a smile filled with humor and cheer. Instantly, the buxom woman was filled with regret, she had not even been aware that she was clutching her whip handle in the first place.

"Dagger, I'm so sorry." Her thumb and forefinger each found an eye to rub before pinching the bridge of her narrow, elegant nose. Another hand ran through the tight ringlets of ebony black. Perfect, now everybody was looking at her funny.

"Oi, Beast." Peter barked, staring solemnly at her. "Keep it together. Got it?" Wendy who was beside him gave him a silent look of admonishment for his insensitivity. A melancholy nod was all that their usually passionate and tough comrade managed in response. Dagger immediately shook the incident off, never wanting the woman that he loved to be so downtrodden for so long. He drew the attention to himself with a boisterous laugh.

"Of course its fine, Big Sis! Even if it hit me I'd die happy."

"That isn't funny, Dagger." She snapped at him, feeling sickened at the thought. He frowned now. Okay sure, maybe it wasn't but… wow she had never looked at him like that before. She glowered and turned away to keep moving ahead. The bright eyed marksman quickly followed, eager to atone. Always undaunted, like a loyal puppy.

"Sorry, sorry!" He waved his arms about trying to get her attention. Meanwhile Jumbo rolled his eyes as he watched the display, and Peter and Wendy who normally paid Dagger's antics no mind, really wished he would just stop. Of course however, Dagger never knew how to read the atmosphere properly so he continued to fumble with his words. The other three just let out a simultaneous sigh and kept moving.

"Will he ever learn?"

"Lets not give up hope."

_"Siiisss! Big Sis!" _

"Ugh…" Peter face palmed.

….

Lizzie was many things. She was high-strung, stubborn, oversensitive, and passionate to the point of taking every endeavor of hers way too far. Stupid however, was not one of those things, in spite of what some might assume about her. Still it never mattered to Elizabeth what anybody assumed about her. Intelligence was always better employed when it was underestimated anyway. Only what Ciel thought about her was important.

But once again regardless of what many seemed to be convinced of, Lady Elizabeth was not stupid or completely oblivious. Why had Ciel decided to hire somebody new all of the sudden? It seemed too sudden. He was not a spur of the moment sort of boy. In fact he was calculative and meticulous. Not to mention he was always reluctant to hire new faces. He had a strong aversion to people. So… what was different about this scenario?

It was not as thought she harbored any ill feelings or disdain for the dark haired maid. She had nearly died saving her and Ciel that afternoon on the ice after all. The little blonde's curiosity had just been peaked by the obviously special case that Ivy must be. At the moment she sat primly in the dress Lizzie had provided her with upon her arrival. The other servants were all jolly and warm companions as opposed to Ivy who went along with all of her whims but maintained a polite distance and became warm and social only when she had a suggestion to make. She did not strike Lizzie as snobbish or unfriendly, but she seemed more cautious than anything.

When she arrived at the estate, nobody had been expecting her. There had been much-pleased greetings and excitement. She returned it all warmly and fell into the routine that Lizzie now watched her observe. Miss Ivy kept a certain distance from everybody else but stayed close enough to get a good scope of all that transpired. How odd, she was as guarded and quiet as Ciel, yet as polite and charming as his butler. Somehow it felt as though she held back on her own personality in front of her and her family. The cheerful blonde couldn't imagine why.

"I think a tea party sounds lovely." Ivy interjected, immediately agreeing to her suggestion. In her hand was a raw bar of chocolate that she ate carelessly and Lizzie swore she caught a glimpse of her true self. They had suggested a ball before, and Ivy had instantly vetoed the prospect on the grounds that they couldn't invite anybody on such short notice. Besides, she had noted to the adoring little fiancée that she would not have nearly enough fun without Ciel there. This was indisputable fact and so tea it was. "Quick preparations should be simple enough. That is if _Tanaka _would be willing to lend a hand this time around?" It was plain to see that she was holding back, she was not facing Lizzie but the fourteen-year-old girl could clearly see the nervous, sweat-dropping old butler shrinking under her gaze.

"Ho. Ho. Ho." He agreed almost timidly with a nod. Lizzie didn't rise but bounded to the occasion, startling Ivy.

"Well since it's settled, why don't we _all _help out!" She squealed as if happening upon the greatest idea to be fathomed. This time she did not notice the sudden tenseness in the newest maid's posture. "I've already made everything so cute already so we wont even have to decorate! See? It's already half done! All we need are some little cakes and pastries… maybe some finger sandwiches!" Golden curls swayed and bounced as the girl twirled excitedly about, oblivious to the neko's crestfallen and exasperated horror.

It was not as though her suggestions were beyond Ivy's capability, but to do so with 'everybody's help'? The very thought made her want to just sit down and give up on life. Not to mention she would have to do it in this frilly abomination that Lizzie insisted she wear. She said it was cute. It was carnage, CARNAGE in its truest garish form, bonnet, stole, and all. All right so the emerald gown wouldn't be so dreadful without all the frills and dopey, big accessories with it but that was not the point. The point was that to be expected to put preparations together with the 'help' of the others servants would be a difficult task on its own, but now she had to wear this dress as she did so.

When Agni had dropped her off he had offered her his help upon noticing her distress. The manor looked as though it had been completely over taken by a rogue army of…dancing white rabbits and pink cupcakes or something. She had declined, thinking that fixing this mess would take far too long and convincing the Lady Middleford to allow it would take even longer. Agni did not have that kind of time to waste; he needed to get back to Soma before the prince tried to make himself a meal. However, at the moment, she was starting to wonder if the prince's health was really worth all this torture.

"It will be fine. You've dressed everyone up so nicely that I'm worried they would ruin the clothes you picked out for them. I can manage." It was a quick and admittedly weak attempt at steering Lizzie into a more favorable direction but it couldn't possibly hurt to try. Dark green eyes blinked at the black-haired maid and Lizzie would have said something but she was stopped by another voice that willfully interjected.

"Don't be ridiculous Ivy! We'd love to help, right guys?" It was plain to see in the bright blue eyes of the so-called head chef that he hated the fuchsia dress and flowing wig that the young master's fiancée had squeezed him into and was not big on being the one to entertain her for a moment more. Ivy ground her teeth together and firmly set her narrowed eyes on him in a 'prepare-to-pay-with-your-life-for-this' stare. And for once he was unrelenting, earning a small piece of Ivy's respect, and a whole lot of her wrath. The other two servants, namely Finnian and Maylene, obliviously responded to Bard's statement with outright enthusiasm.

"YEAH!"

"Okay! Let's get started with the sandwiches!" Elizabeth clapped and pranced toward the kitchens.

"Ugh." Ivy watched them parade down the hall and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Those two bastards _better _get home soon or I'll destroy this place with my own two hands." She growled under her breath.

….

"Welcome to the estate. We've been waiting." Joker murmured lowly with a slight bow. His usually good-humored and ever grinning face was stoic and serious. "Earl Phantomhive." Ciel met his gaze, mildly surprised to see him there so soon, but remained undaunted and serious.

"Joker." He acknowledged tonelessly. The circus goer responded with a practiced sweep of his good arm, motioning them into the dark interior of the manor.

"Please come inside." His pointed shoes clicked in the dark as Ciel followed after him and Sebastian soundlessly shut the door behind them. With a snap of the red haired performer's fingers the main entryway was suddenly alight with candles. The reaction to the sight that was illuminated to them was instantaneous. The young earl's breath caught in his throat.

"This is…" Dolls. Countless mangled dolls hanging awkwardly from the ceiling on ropes like a web of macabre trophies. The walls were decorated with more of the wretched things, naked, missing limbs, and tied down like the victims of a gruesome torture chamber. A row of legs hung here, and a large iron cage sat back against a crowded shelf there. These things were not alive but were clearly treated and neglected in a fashion that made this room the pure product of a deranged mind. The sight gave Sebastian neither joy nor shame, he simply recognized, with disdain, the pathetically deteriorated mental state of the creature who lived here.

"This way." Joker called their attention from the base of a large staircase where he now stood. They walked the broad winding expanse behind him wordlessly. The paintings on the wall were unrecognizable and not very clear, possibly watercolor work. A single visible blue eye watched Joker's back cautiously as Sebastian leaned over to speak in a hushed voice to him.

"What do you want to do?" He asked. "Kill him right away and rescue the children?"

"Wait." Ciel responded decisively. "If all the children are still alive, it would be better if we caught him red-handed. Also if we don't understand the situation or his motives completely I wont have a proper report for Her Majesty." Also there was the issue that if they did it that way, he would never understand how any of this was connected to him. The somber child's thoughts were interrupted by the cynical sound of laughter.

"Hehehehe." Joker's shoulders shook with mirth up ahead of them. "Well they do _say _don't judge a book by its cover. You're a perfect example." He was suddenly calm as he spoke. "That such a little body lives under stage names like "The Queen's Watchdog" and "The Evil Nobleman." Earrings knocked together with a light clink as he turned to serve Ciel a pitiful smile. "That's some hardship, Smile." The boy was immediately repelled by the criminal's familiarity with him and corrected him swiftly.

"My name is Earl Ciel Phantomhive." His gaze on the second ringmaster was heavy and stern, his tone jarringly cold. "A servant shall not speak to me with such familiarity." Joker did not seemed at all ruffled by the response; he simply gave a careless shrug.

"Of course." He agreed. "You are a nobleman after all." And suddenly he stopped before a tall pair of wooden doors, pivoting to face them completely. "We have prepared dinner for you." His arm pushed open the doors to lead them inside. The dining hall seemed normal enough, with a black and white tile floor. It was spacious with a large fireplace behind the chairs, wide tall windows along the back wall, and was dimly lit with big intricate candelabras, aided by at least two chandeliers. One unusual factor however was the fairly massive stage that took up half the space along the wall at which the table faced. It was heavily draped and rose at least four feet off the ground.

"This way." Joker led them to the table that was dressed with a tablecloth and was laid out extravagantly with a long row of dishes, and a few centerpieces. Despite his disgust, Ciel allowed the circus member to pull out his chair for him, and took a seat. His butler stood dutifully behind him on his left. They only had to wait but a moment before, their subservient guide made his way back to the doors.

"He has arrived." Joker informed and Ciel glanced up, readily wanting to get a good look at this man. Naturally the first thing one would expect to notice was the wide over done wheelchair in which he carried himself around, but no. This man was completely covered in bandages with only an eye and his mouth visible. Even more still however was the hideously delighted shine of obsessive delight in his eyes as he greeted his guest.

"You came to see me, Earl Phantomhive." Behind him stood two dull eyed, expressionless children. A girl and a boy stood side by side, both blondes. Placing a long meaty hand over his chest, he gushed. "Ah… it's like a dream! To have you so close to me! Though I feel so ashamed to meet you while looking this way." His visible eye cast down sheepishly. It was grotesque.

"You are Baron Kelvin?"

"That's right. But it makes me feel awkward to be so formal with you." Motioning to the now opening doors, he brought the pair's attention to a procession of silver platters both covered and displayed being rolled in on elegant carts by countless little girls in maid uniforms. In the meantime two boys in footmen attire held open the doors, Joker helping out where he could. "For you I have prepared a feast. The wine is from 1875: the year you were born. I might sound as if I'm showing off a bit." As he said this Joker placed a goblet of the vintage on the right side of Ciel's untouched plate. Sebastian immediately picked it up and took a delicate sip before placing it down.

"It doesn't seem to contain poison." He murmured. Ciel pulled a face.

"I have no intention of touching food served by rats so there is no need to taste for poison. Moreover…" He glanced around. "Those children. It seems there are more victims than the police files included." The Baron's voice piped up again.

"That's it! Merely sitting having a meal. You must feel bored right? Joker." He called the young man over who suddenly looked uneasy. "Prepare 'that' for me."

"Eh… b-but…"

"**_Just do it."_** His harsh, menacing tone made it apparent that Joker had no taste for what was about to happen. He looked away from his 'father'.

"…Okay…" The little earl threw him a sharp darting glance and his expression was gone in an instant, replaced with a mocking grin. On the stage, awaited a row of children dressed in the colorful garb of entertainers, with masks to cover their faces.

"Welcome, Earl Phantomhive. Tonight, I will accompany you through a world of pleasure that will leave you dazzled." A showman's smile indeed, his smile was so convincing. Ciel was not the only one who could paint his face with lies. "First we have a tightrope walker. With no lifeline or anything, this is the real deal." The girl in the tutu stepped forward onto the line…and instantly tumbled down without so much as a scream. Down to her death in a sickening splat onto the stage floor.

"Wh-!" All the color drained from Ciel's face and his blood ran cold as Sebastian looked on unimpressed and a bit disgusted. The Baron began to applaud laughing like the maniac he so obviously was. The boy turned to stare at him, his mind moving too quickly for his stunned brain to follow and respond to. Another child dragged her batter body away, leaving a trail of bloody smears in his wake.

"Next is a wild animal tamer." A lone boy in a mask stood in the center of the stage hold a whip rather uselessly. "A fierce lion will-" Before the sentence could even be completed the large beast tore into the child. Kelvin laughed even harder if that were possible. Joker looked sick but regardless did not stop. A girl strapped onto an intricate board was brought up to the stage now.

"Next we have a knife-thrower!" He announced. "The fate of the crucifix girl is…?" And just as the knife was flung Ciel regained control.

"STOP IT, SEBASTIAN!" Two gloved fingers instantly retrieved the knife from mid-air, stopping the blade just before it could touch the girl's eye. A long heavy silence followed as the demon unmasked the small child.

"Ellery Nickson who disappeared in the Cornwall area. There is no mistake." He eyed the papers and the girl. "As you expected, young master. So, kidnapped children are put into the show without any training. I see, this is just another way of enjoying a circus."

The Baron now looked rather panicked back and forth. "Sorry, you don't like this method? Joker! Clean up right away."

"I shall put a stop to this." Ciel hissed and stood up sharply on his chair, walking purposefully down toward the perpetrator he was sent to deal with. "I have no desire to sit at a table with a creature more despicable than a beast."

"_Eh…eh…what's wrong?" _

"This is enough for a report to the Queen." The danger in the small boy's tone promised death as he spoke with every step. "**_Vulgar. Ugly. Perverted." _**He now stood above the portly, disfigured, husk of a man and declared. "**_The lowest form of human life. This is what I, The Queen's Watchdog, has disposed of!" _**

It was a split second filled with motion from all sides as the boy reached for his gun, Joker whipped out a sword, and Sebastian swooping in fastest of them all with naught but a dagger. So this is what they referred to in westerns as…'a Mexican stand-off'. Ciel with his gun to the whimpering Baron's skull, Joker with his sword at Ciel's neck, and Sebastian with his dagger slanting menacingly against the circus performer's jugular. To an apparent eye it would appear that it was anyone's move, but both boy and butler knew they had this well underhand.

"E-…Earl?" Kelvin stuttered. He received no response, just the same expression of calm killing intent. "Joker! Stop the Earl from pointing that dangerous thing at me."

"But…" Joker was sweating, gazing out of his peripheral vision at the smug butler, who grinned as if mocking his devotion to this haggard, immobile, tub of lard who made such selfish demands. Daring him to make a move against his young master.

"You wont obey me!" The Baron snapped. Joker relented to the butler's will and put away his long weapon.

"Baron Kelvin. Where are the kidnapped children?" Ciel demanded with well-practiced authority.

"What?" The man seemed to almost be laughing. "You want to meet those children? They are in the basement; I can take you there right away. Besides there was something I wanted to show you down there."

The stone of the walls that lead down the winding staircase were touched with mold. The basement must have been rather damp. "To walk beside you is like a dream come true!" He was gushing again and Ciel would not have it.

"Don't waste your breath." He retorted harshly. "Just lead me to where the children are quickly." A small slender finger itched to pull the trigger as he held the barrel of his weapon to his bandaged dome.

"U..um…apologies. I am so glad. Ever since that day I have always regretted that I could not be at your side that day, in that place." His tone became distant. The boy crinkled his nose and prodded the side of his head.

"That day?... My side? What are you even talking about?"

"No matter how much I regretted it, time wouldn't turn back. Then I realized, if I can not turn it back, then I should recreate it!" As he prattled on dramatically the two children pushed open a pair of heavy doors. "Look!" He motioned proudly. Once Ciel's gaze absorbed what he was seeing his posture went completely rigid. Like every fiber in his being had turned to stone. "It took me three years to prepare it!" No… no… no… NO!... NO! NO! NO! It was the same! It was all the same!

It was the rebirth of a nightmare.

_ His _nightmare.

_That _nightmare!

That **_month! _**

The boy could barely register what the filthy sadistic old pervert was saying anymore, but what he heard he did not like There were three cages, a circular symbol carved into the marble floor with a star in it's center….and that…_hideous **altar. **_ All he registered was the fear and hatred of that torturous time. The intent to kill. 'Kill.' His thoughts echoed as he stared at the scene in a daze. Sebastian watched him carefully, the security of his presence keeping Ciel from having another breakdown. His breathing still became more and more shallow as this man- no this **_creature- _**continued to tell his sickening story. 'Kill.' He repeated mentally.

_Kill them all! _

"It was you, right Earl? You were the one that killed them all?"

'Kill…'

"Ah! I'm so jealous! Such a beautiful end, dealt by the one and only cold moon himself!"

'Kill this bastard!'

"Please I beg of you! Let me be a part of it all!" The crippled man held out his arms. "Everything is exactly the same as that day! See? I have prepared everything: the room of the ceremony, the sacrificial lambs, and the last piece Earl…is you!"

'KILL HIM NOW!'

"Actually I intended to come and visit you m-"

-**BANG-**

A deathly silence followed, only disturbed by Ciel ragged huffs of breath, as he still held his pistol straight out. His visible eye gleamed with the shine of unfathomable rage and madness. It was first broken by an enraged shout of indignation.

"Father!" Joker lunged forward, straight for the boy. A wild war cry ripped from the young man's lips as he whipped out his artificial arm to reveal that it doubled as a sword. Just as he tried to take a swing at the unmoving child however, his only good limb was suddenly missing, in one quick swipe from the unnervingly quick butler.

"Please do not disturb my master." Ah but what could he have expected from the ever efficient Black. In their wake the boy and his servant left two men howling in agony.

"It hurts, Earl! It's so painful!" The Baron wailed as if Ciel would care, cleaving to his legs. "Please… I beg you, if you're going to kill me, do it just like you did everyone else on that day?"

"The same as them?" The boy easily pulled free of his repulsive touch as he spoke coldly. He then stomped on that bandaged head, making him cry out once again. "Kneel down like a worm then…and beg the demon to do it." He cocked his revolver and aimed down.

"Please don't kill him! Despite what he is, he saved us!" Joker's voice was strangely shrill and desperate. "We were abandoned by our parents and our nation. He saved us from the threat of starvation. Many brothers and sisters of ours are still at the workhouse. If he dies we can't live on." He was struggling to sit up, for some semblance of dignity. "…That's why-"

"You kidnapped those children?" The boy's stern interruption startled him into silence. "You obeyed this man in order to survive…by sacrificing others?" The circus performer hung his head.

"Yeah. For kids like us, England was a living hell. We didn't have money to buy food or power to protect our friends. We had nothing. Father… pulled us from that pile of rubbish. He gave us hands and legs, allowing us to protect what is most precious to us." Ciel listened silently, not removing his foot from his 'father's' head. "That's why we decided to live. Even though it meant living in a different kind of hell. I knew from the start that it was wrong but..."

"You are not wrong." Smile –no- Earl Phantomhive's statement caught him off guard. He stared up at him with large glassy eyes. "You fought to protect your world. Isn't that good enough? After all, justice in theis world is just a bunch of principles made by those with power to suit themselves. No one really thinks of others, you will lose everything if you can't keep up. Only two kinds of people exist in this world…those who steal and those who are stolen from…." He suddenly heard a familiar sounding voice in the back of his head calling him a stubborn little dumbass and smirked wryly to himself. "…Or perhaps you and I had to fight for the longer out of two 'short ends of a stick'." Joker blinked at him in puzzlement. "Today I just stole your future."

….

Ivy had taken refuge in the wine cellar after her long and stressful day. Bard had a round wooden table situated down there for when he himself wanted to escape, but he himself was still in the kitchen chatting it up with Maylene. Finni was probably dead asleep on the counter by now. Her hair was loosened and she had rid her ridiculous dress of its frills and ugly accessories. She knew she should really go upstairs to change but she was feeling so lazy that she could have easily just fallen asleep here in the cellar. Perhaps some wine would ease her tension?

No. She quickly deduced that Sebastian would get on her case about it over inventory and she did not want to deal with misplaced teasing over alcohol abuse. Still it was rather chilly down here, and he did owe her for putting her through this in the first place. "Ugh." She groaned aloud lazily turning her head from where it rested on the round table surface to look at the shelves in contemplation. Her lips pursed thoughtfully. She would have to get a glass or something if she were going to, because she was not drinking from a bottle like an animal. So that made the endeavor a 'no' in her current lazy state of mind. Out of boredom she used her abilities to sense where each of the manor residents were. Just as she thought, the other three servants were in the kitchen and Finnian's aura was dormant. Tanaka could be felt wandering the halls for whatever insane reason (old weirdo), and Lazy Elizabeth was already sound asleep in bed. Thank GOD.

She did not dislike Lizzy, she simply could not handle her constantly changing whims twenty-four seven. The girl had the attention span of a hummingbird and there were moments that Ivy thought she did it on purpose. Not a minute passed before Ivy's scope was interrupted by something. Someone was entering into her range of detection and for a moment she hoped it was the young master, but there were too many, and they felt too different. Instantly she sat straight up as if she had all the energy in the world. Her eyes shot upright. Those presences…she knew these people. In a flurry of skirts, she sprung soundlessly for the kitchen to find the others.

…

Joker began to laugh now, dropping himself unceremoniously onto his back, and spreading out his limbs along the floor. In a puddle of his own blood. "Hahahahahahaha! You're right! But…" His usual grin emerged, but with a dark tone of mockery edging it. "You will also have something stolen from you tonight." Sebastian frowned, and Ciel narrowed his eyes. "My fellow circus members are paying a visit to your manor tonight." The boy's blue eye widened in surprise, thinking of the sweet cheerful blond that laughed infectiously in his mind's eye.

"_Lizzie…"_

"Do you know why we have never been caught kidnapping all of those children?" He asked completely oblivious to Sebastian's disinterest in the conversation. "Its because every witness has been killed."

….

"Finnian. Up, up, up, up!" Ivy dutifully wiggled his shoulder as the other servants prepared themselves. The boy groaned unhappily. "Drag your big sleepy head to the gardens, we have guests to entertain, and not the warm sort." She informed him briskly, ruffling his hair as he sat up. It was time for her to truly prove her worth here for the first time. She had never had to entertain 'guests' before; perhaps it could be fun, especially if they were child killers. "Be efficient folks! We can't lose our rep as Phantomhive servants can we?"

Bard laughed gruffly at her statement. "You heard the lady! Let's go, just like we planned! Maylene covers Finni-"

"And I cover you Bard." Ivy nudged him with her elbow, smiling a smile of camaraderie. He gave her the thumbs up. He didn't mind having the crazy lady around if it meant having a veritable force of nature as your back up.

"Places everybody. It's show time."

"Break a leg." Ivy responded. "…or two if you must."

"You're disturbing."

"Your face is disturbing." The neko shoved his shoulder lightly and sauntered off down the hall.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"To cover you." Ivy was now in the zone. She carelessly began tearing off the front of her skirts to free her legs and Bard panicked.

"Hey! Hey! Woah! My eeeyeeess!" He swiftly turned his back. Ivy rolled her eyes at his reaction.

"Oh please. It's far better than you'll ever get, and far less than you're used seeing I'd wager." Funny, she probably would have loudly demanded that Sebastian stop watching if it were he here with her. The neko shook her mind free of those pointless thoughts. She looked Bard up and down then waved him off. "You hurry up and tend to the main entrance."

As Ivy strode purposefully down the hall, she sensed for further movement on the grounds. It seemed the troupe had split up to cover more area just as Bard predicted. The man had a mind for battle strategy. As expected of a war vet of Sebastian's choosing. He was a lousy cook, but a killer soldier. It was easier to pick off Jumbo's aura, seeing as he was all alone now, wandering through the gardens. Not remotely a match for Finnian's strength, he would be dead soon enough. A pity really, he had struck Ivy as a naturally gentle soul. There were two more outside hovering about in the trees.

No time for that. "Tanaka." She called to the old butler who crossed her path, walking the hall with candelabrum in hand to light his path. He paused and looked at her curiously. "We have a few surprise guests tonight. Please keep watch over Lady Elizabeth." The old man gave a short bow at the waist, free hand over his chest.

"Of course."

….

Shin stood on one leg in a tranquil yoga position from the thin branch he miraculously balanced on. His eyes were shut serenely as if he hadn't a care in the world and was not under the shadow of an entire circle of superior beings who could easily decide to end him.

_I am a leaf…on the wind._

Below him, a certain Ashcroft tracker was not having so easy of a time adjusting to the inactivity during this particular situation. He had gotten into this rather apathetically in the beginning; it had been so much simpler then. Now however it felt as though the net was going to close in if he and his kitsune partner remain inactive for much longer. "If we don't come up with a decent wild goose chase pretty soon. One of two things is going to happen: Jet Buttmunch Bercarius is gonna catch on to us, or His 'Daddy Dearest' is going to get impatient with how long this endeavor is taking and come here himself." There was no response from above as he paced back and forth.

"Can you hear me? Or are you on some kind of vision quest to escape the reality of the dire consequences either option could lead to?" How could he be so calm? "Shin! I'm running out of ideas you useless bastard!"

"What do you suggest we do about it?" The sprite like creature shifted his posture without disturbing a single leaf. "And not so loud please. We may be out on patrol but who knows if Jet sent some scouts to keep an eye on us."

"He didn't. Don't waste your worries on trifles. If any of those fools were here I would sense their presence a mile away. Get to scheming with me already."

"I say we use our patrols, to find her before they do. This way once we know where she is, we can endeavor to create our plan around Bercarius's plan."

"What _plan_? Shin, the guy _has _no _plan._ He wants to head in, snatch the chit, and walk out. He really thinks it's going to be that simple."

"It probably _would _be if not for us."

"Yeah, yeah. Well his lack of planning is all the better for us. I'm all for beating the brat to the punch but how are we going to occupy his attention?"

Shin lazily opened his eyes. He always thought well when he meditated._ A leaf…on the wind._ There was nobody who could make a false trail better than a fox. Where to start? "We have to create a decoy lead. I will need your cooperation, and it is going to be risky."

"Oooooh! Baby you still know how I like it."

"May your indecorous tongue be carved from your putrid mouth."

* * *

Author's Note: Aw man. No Sebby/Ivy time. Damn I have so much fun writing them together. Ugh I felt like I was rushing this one more than any of the others. My goodness. BTW I'm still disliking this whole School Arc. Just PUT IT OUT OF ITS MISERY! I'm so done with it. Now if you feel the need to make me happy and review this chapter I would be much obliged. The next chapter: That Maid, House Sitting II. Will be out shortly. Thank you and goodnight. Ciao!


	33. That Maid, House Sitting II

Author's Note: Alrighty Roo! The continuation of That Maid, House Sitting has commenced. Hopefully I can get this one out there quicker considering I have a better idea of what I'm writing now. I'm definitely trying. I want to focus more on Ivy's point of view for this chapter thought I don't know if I'll be able to do so completely. I figured that this would be one of the times we see a darker side to Ivy that people often never get to experience. Yeah, yeah, I talk too much I know xD. Lets just get on with it. Oh and in the very last scene Italics means Ciel's voice, regular is Bard.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji. These characters belong to Yana Toboso only. If I did, the female characters would be much more entertaining, and I would not have been taken hostage by a bunch of evil shinigami lawyers. Cross my heart and may I live a thousand years while strapped down to a chair as Paris Hilton reads the Twilight saga to me out loud. Now that is a true pledge of honor folks, take it and run.

**Chapter Thirty-Three: That Maid, House Sitting II**

_"There is no greater glory than love, nor any greater punishment than jealousy." –_Lope de Vega

It is very easy to disconnect with the world around you. To distract oneself from reality through…well…just thinking about anything else really. Doll had done that her entire life, ever since she lost her eye. It had become a system of hers. To forget about all the horrible things in her life, and hope that maybe by doing so, they would disappear. The maybe she could finally be happy. Very few things made her happy anymore it seemed, and she couldn't sleep alone because that would mean that she no longer had anyway to distract herself before she fell asleep. Where the nightmares would come for her. Smile had been such a warm and pleasant distraction. Having learned what the others were now saying about him, she was now in great inner turmoil.

Had she really been wrong to help him that time behind the private tents? She sat by the riverbank trying to sort everything out while she gave her horse a short rest. There happened to be a near by log that was perfect for sitting, albeit it a little damp. Her numb, stiffening fingers dug through her leather satchel. For a while she simply sat there, gazing at the round lollipop that she drew from its contents. She gave one to him; he had said he wanted the caramel flavored one. Those past few days sharing a tent with Smile were happier than anytime in her life she could remember. Had she ever felt more like just a normal girl than when she hung around with him?

That's right! He was such an ordinary kid. How could he be with the yard?

"Ah." The air from her lungs puffed into the air like a gentle cloud. "I really… don't think Smile is with the yard." She murmured out loud to herself, but even as she did so she couldn't find herself completely convinced otherwise. So she continued to reason through her theory. "He's so sickly and weak… and doesn't seem to lie. Unlike…." She trailed off now, an image of her friends entering her mind. Yeah, they were liars. Liars of the worst kind. The horse seemed to sense her distress and began to sniff and nuzzle her shoulder. With a sigh she got to her feet and stretched out for better circulation. "Right! In any case I gotta get to brother Joker!" She cheered herself.

The biting cold wind stung her cheeks and she spurred her mount onward.

"Hya!"

….

Ivy could hear the muffled cry before the giant's presence was completely snuffed out from her scope with a loud distant crash. "Oh Finni. Did you have to be so messy about it?" She huffed silently to herself. That would not be pleasant to clean or to repair. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk. "One down." As the two lurking presences rushed to the gardener's location, Ivy mulled over Finnian's abilities in comparison to the ever-agile acro-twins, Peter and Wendy. It had to be. Her abilities were excellent for keeping track of each piece on the board.

Either way she quickly decided that a comparison would be pointless, what with Maylene lurking on the rooftops. She needed to cover Bard, because it was him who had a chance at being outmatched by the two figures that approached his location slowly but surely. She would have to remain unseen in order to properly have his back this time around. They would be less cautious if it seemed that they only had one opponent. For the moment however, she and Bard moved about the kitchen's setting up a special surprise. There were already other things rigged in the rest of the manor but nothing made Ivy quite as starry-eyed as the massive machine gun imported from the states.

"This thing is clearly meant to be my soul mate." She sighed, hugging the weapon and resting her cheek along the shiny barrel. Bard 'Tsked' seeing as he had just finished polishing his machine. Whipping out a rag he approached and began bumping her with his arm, telling her to back away.

"Well that's too bad because, _she _is taken and happy. Nor does she appreciate being referred to as a 'thing', her name is Natasha." He corrected with righteous indignation. Ivy easily bumped him away a good three feet with her hip and continued to snuggle the gun. "Do you just have a fetish for all things deadly?" The head chef sounded exasperated. A single green eye visibly glanced in his direction with a menacing glow. "What do you mean by that?"

He gulped and held up his hands. "Nothing! Geez Ivy."

"Sorry, Bard. I'm a lot more on edge lately." She stated.

"Yeah I've noticed. Can I re-polish Natasha now?" The neko laughed at his statement.

"Bard. Do whatever you want, she's your gun and obviously you'd make her much happier than I could considering you even took the time to give her both a name and a gender." She teased.

"Okay now this joke is making me uncomfortable."

"Its funny! Besides you're the one who gave it a name and became possessive of it. It's almost like you were je-' During her mini speech, she suddenly felt a flare in Finni's presence that made her sharply stiffen and move as if to run to his aid. When the sound of gunshots echoed about however, she was stayed and the monstrous look in her eyes abated. Two down. What on earth were the other two approaching parties doing to be taking so long getting here?

"What happened?" The chef frowned fiddling with his pack of cigarettes in pursuit of another stick of tobacco. Ivy just shook her head after a pause.

"Nothing. Just a false alarm." She hunched over and began placing bags of flour up onto the counter. Bard watched her expressions intently, now realizing that all this time she had been multitasking somehow. She was focusing on more than just their current task at hand. Curious, he continued to observe the focused look of concentration that she sported as he himself stooped to load the burlap bags onto the counters as well. Suddenly with a huff, she plopped one down onto the counter and began to stride in the bouncing way she usually did when particularly upset or purposeful. "Shit." He heard her gripe.

"Wait! Mind filling me in!" He called after her.

"There's trouble out back at the servant's entrance. And hurry it up. At least one of us needs to hold down the fort at the main entrance." She muttered. Ivy could not allow the intruder to wander freely about, not in the wing so close to Lady Elizabeth's room. The ex-soldier ran a hand through his hair and lit his cigarette for a nice long relaxing drag.

"Will do, Miss Lady." He sighed. Well at least he was finished here.

….

"Hello Peter." The softness of the voice startled the small man. He glared suspiciously at the lithe silhouette of a young woman in a fancy dress that had the entire front of its skirt rent off. Ivy had to keep him by a window, but he seemed to know this and cautiously crouched. "It's very unseemly for guests not to use the main entrance. You really should have let Bard take care of you." Her voice did not even seem to mock him; this made the acrobat all the more uneasy.

"How the _hell _do you know my name?" He snarled. The poor thing was already bleeding; this seemed almost like a crime.

"Maylene has certainly done a number on you." She tilted her head at him in examination, her eyes saddened. He would be dying soon anyway. There was no hope for the pitiful looking creature. Maylene's presence was circulating the area and getting closer. There would be no fight between her and Peter tonight, or ever.

"I don't need your pity." He snarled. "Who are you people and how do you know my name!" His tone was insistent but expression clearly dazed from blood loss.

"You must already know who we are, or you wouldn't have come here." In his confused state it would be easy for her to stall him where he stood. He had not attacked yet; there was no need to raise a hand or weapon to him. Eyes that were far too mature for his small body and face squinted in thought, glazed over. She remained still before him, motionless and stern in posture.

"This is the home of the watchdog…" He gritted his teeth, gripping what looked like some sort of bladed chord. It was long and wiry with a sharp shiny star. Her gaze rested impassively and attentively at his weapon. "It doesn't really matter to me who or what you are, you killed Jumbo…and _Wendy_." The young sounding voice of his came out in a gravelly emotional croak. If Ivy had not felt so insulted by the statement she would have been moved to pity. Her folded arms now separated to rest on her hips instead. "You have to die."

"Oh? I never killed either of those people. I haven't even seen them." She murmured with a raised eyebrow.

"Gch! You are as responsible for their deaths as everybody else in this filthy mansion!" He shouted, voice scratchy.

"We never killed your friends, Peter. You did." She stated with finality. His eyes popped in horror at the crazy accusation and he stiffened. His arms trembled and he looked as though paralyzed.

"_H-…how dare you." _Blonde bangs fell over his eyes.

"It was not us. We never invited you lot to come picking fights and intruding on the property. We have a family to protect from a very dangerous world after all. You led your friends into a den of trained killers without the proper preparation. At the end of the day, it is you who is most responsible for their lives."

The small body of a man, who never grew, trembled under the emotional strain of her words. "Shut up. You're a liar. A filthy lying bitch, that's all you are."

"Is it a lie? Who's idea was it to come here tonight, Peter? Was it Joker's? Jumbo's? Or was it yours?" She could hear his teeth grinding together. "Wait. Joker…he isn't here is he? You even decided to come here without his help. Now you will never see them and are doubly accountable. Does it hurt to feel the pain that you have been inflicting on others? Others weaker than yourself?"

"You were going to take us to the yard!"

"Naturally. If the watchdog decided to treat you so charitably that is. It would have only been fair, but you just had to forfeit the opportunity."

He poised the weapon to strike at her with a trembling arm. "We didn't have a choice!"

"We all have a choice, Peter. Did you perhaps think by inflicting such pain on others that you would be getting revenge on the rest of the world –on London- for the lot in life that you were given? Was there a part of you that thought these people whose children you so cruelly snatched from their world deserved to suffer as much as you all did?"

"NO!"

"Why did you do it, Peter?"

"I didn't want to- we didn't want to d-"

"But you did."

"Stop it!"

"You killed them. Condemned them each to a fate worse than death."

"SHUT UP!"

"And in the process killed your friends because of it."

"NO! NO! I DIDN'T!" He violently shook his head.

"Yes you did. All of you condemned everything you ever cared about to death. For the sake of some sick putrid excuse of a human being."

Now he lashed out with his chord. "I SAID SHUT UP!" It was time. Ivy caught the chord and twisted it around her wrist for a better grip. He tried to pull it back but she kicked out her foot to step on the now taught line, straight down to the floor. Peter fell towards her, face first, and she pinned him to the window with a foot to his throat. It had been easy, too easy. There was just no more fight left in him. She sighed.

"I'm so sorry. You have no idea how deeply I understand your hatred and frustration. Alas, we are all held accountable for the things we do eventually. Didn't you know that? Consequences follow us with every decision we make; we will all have to take responsibility someday whether we plan to or not. In this case I am willing to take responsibility for what is about to happen to you. Just know that I take no joy in it." She cast down her eyes. His light blue ones stared up at her in confusion and physical exhaustion.

"What are you?" He whispered.

"Don't you remember? It doesn't really matter to you what I am." The tiny silhouette of Maylene darkened into view on the opposite room. The gleaming eerie glow of Ivy's eyes was the last thing he ever saw before the final gunshot was fired.

….

Joker's red hair was darkened by drying blood from his place on the ground. "We circus members are professionals. We eliminate anyone who crosses our path while on a mission no matter who or what?" Sebastian found his statement to be rather broad and he doubted it but said nothing to the smug dying man. "I wonder how many people will be killed while they search the manor for you, Earl." Was he honestly so confidant? Ciel maintained a straight face with some effort, remaining impassive.

"Killed, huh?" He repeated stoically.

"Yeah. Even your servants won't be spared."

"My servants?" The boy's eyes remained obstructed by his bangs and his hat. Sebastian however was not at all opposed to showing his amusement. Circus professionals indeed. They were a joke. How absurd to think that just because they had murdered simple civilians in droves that they were suddenly professionals. He openly chuckled at him, while Ciel gave him a flat 'are-you-fucking-serious?' expression. It was very difficult to imagine them trying to engage in a serious life and death fight with any of their lethal servants. Joker's gaze shot towards the butler who bubbled with mirth.

"What's so damn funny?" He demanded with a frown. Ciel set down his cane loudly and stuck a proud posture, towering over him. Sebastian stood behind him all smiles.

"Just who do you think you are dealing with?" The young master of Phantomhive admonished severely. "They are servants of Phantomhive!" The young ring leader's eyes widened in sudden growing panic.

….

"Beast. Are you feeling alright now?" It was strange not to hear Dagger call her 'Big Sis' as he usually did. The busty woman had suddenly felt a strong sense of foreboding as the stood inside wandering the manor halls and corridors. She had been over-taken by a sudden rush of nausea and had to sit outside for a bit as Dagger stood dutifully by her side keeping watch. She couldn't understand what the shadows really said anymore and was not sure whether that was a good thing or not at this point. This was not right; they shouldn't have come here. "We gotta hurry, sis." He told her urgently.

"We should've waited. We should've stayed at the camp or- or we could have packed up and made a run for it." She started to breath frantically, one hand gripping Dagger's pant leg as she struggled to keep her grip. "We can't be here tonight. We need to leave!" All of this came pouring from her lips so suddenly that the marksman was startled effectively. His mouth opened and shut in disbelief, unsure of what to say to her, unsure of whether or not to believe what he was hearing.

"Sis, what are you trying to say?" The tone in his voice was unreadable, neither disapproving and judgmental, nor overly excited or pleased. She did not meet his gaze. Dagger must be finally realizing that she was going out of her mind. He must see how unreasonable the statement was. Well then he was right. Go back now that they'd already arrived here? If they didn't do this, the yard would finally catch up to them right? What about all those children at the workhouse? Could they just leave them? Joker's words began to ring in her ears.

_ 'Did you forget? We can't turn back now.'_

Can't turn back. There is no hope to avoid this. "Dagger…there really isn't any turning back now is there?" Her eyes finally lifted to his.

"No. I guess not." He admitted. "We did come a long way after all, ya know?" Beast pursed her lips and shut her eyes to take a deep breath. Now was not the time to back down. It was not the time for her to panic. She did not get her namesake for being a simpering, cowardly, little child. What Beast needed was to find that fierce woman that she knew herself to be.

"Alright, Dagger." She opened her eyes and looked at him. The heavy cloud would not stop her now. Beast would muscle through this the way she always did, she could deal with what had been done later. There was no need to talk about it now, not when Joker wasn't here to listen to her confession. They could deal with her betrayal later. That is what all of this weird behavior of hers was all about wasn't it? She had to be just feeling horribly guilty. Could that really explain everything that had been happening in her mind? It was all she could fathom the problem being. Without accepting assistance she rose determinedly to her feet, ready to beat this. She could almost hear the laughter even now in the back of her mind.

Rather than question her, Dagger simply nodded. It was very likely that he wanted to get this whole over with about as much as she did. They heard gunfire from somewhere off and paused. This was a big manor and sound travelled in odd ways around hallways so it was anybody's guess which direction the noise had come from. "There seems to be a… body guard of some kind." She frowned.

"Yeah." Dagger concurred. "This really is the kind of place you'd expect of a filthy rich noble. We'll leave the rest out there to our 'siblings'. We'll look for the target." Walking through one of the many doors they had come across, they found themselves in the main hall. The very essence of this house made Beast break out into cold sweats, like it had been made out of darkness itself long ago.

"Over there." She motioned to a large staircase.

"This looks like it goes somewhere important." Dagger noted with a shrug. Up they proceeded to climb, when a gruff voice interrupted them.

"Yo. I was waiting for you." He was American by the sound of it. Decent height, average rugged looks, and a rather unorthodox way of using a cook's attire were traits all quickly noted. Not that they could speak about unorthodox styles of dress. The bloke casually held a cigarette between his teeth, and was leaning against a corner of the railing with one arm. "The backyard and side court are being entertained by Finni and Maylene. If you want to enter through anywhere aside from here, there's- WOAH!" The intruders made their move. If you let your target speak for too long they become human to you.

Three Daggers flew swiftly through the air with lethal accuracy. Bard raised the frying pan that he happened to be holding to barely block the sharp little missiles. "Hey you! That's dangerous! I was in the middle of talking!" He barely had time to register this action before the dominatrix with the knockers came at him with a frickin whip! Darting to the side, he exclaimed in surprise. "Hey woah now! I'm not into that sorta thing you know!" He protested. Before she pulled back for another strike a lithe blur of movement caught the whip in one strong grip, pulling on her weapon. The dark cloud that oppressed Beast's mind did not abate, but instantly stilled at this new presence.

"You want to tame a cat? Try it on _me_, Miss thing." It was… just a girl. A young thing in fact, with a face that would have been called sweet if not for the protective glare that marred her features.

Bard placed his hands on his narrow waist. "You took your sweet ass time." He commented.

"You seemed to have the situation so well underhand, so I thought I could watch your skills in action for a bit." Ivy shrugged right back. Dagger blinked at her.

"Haven't we seen her before somewhere?" He kept his hands poised to throw his well-sharpened weapons.

"If I were you I'd put those little knitting needles away before you lose all those greasy fingers of yours…Dagger." Ivy's gaze promised pain. Beast narrowed her eyes and yet was unable to be anything but fixated on the odd sort of imposing presence she carried. They both blinked in surprise that she knew his name. She pulled at her whip once again, surprised at how the young lady's grip never budged. "Don't test me, beast tamer." Green eyes challenged.

The older of the two women, gritted her teeth together and growled. "Who the **_hell _**are you?" How could she know so very much about them already? Did the watchdog really work that fast?

"Introduction? I'll certainly give you the courtesy since I already know your names. I like to keep things on even ground. Or as even as they can get." She released the whip. "I'm Ivy." Her smile was sweet, and at the sound of her name Beast could hear from the oppressing cloud an almost dreamy like sigh echo through her subconscious.

"Nice to see you've slowed the pace." Bard poked in. "Honestly, everyone wants to live fast these days like Solomon Grundy. What a disgrace." Dagger's attention was brought back to the smug looking yank on the staircase, who smiled confidently back at him. "Hey, Finni." He called over his shoulder.

"Oh Dear." Ivy sighed. "This is going to be messy."

"You have no idea, doll face."

Beast and Dagger felt a panic rising at the sight of a thin slip of a boy lugging a large marble bust that had to weigh at least a ton. And he was coming right toward them.

"Take…one round of cannon." Apparently this was code for squish the travelling housebreakers like a pair of Italian wine grapes, because that's exactly what he tried to do next. The two 'guests' had to jump in opposite directions to barely dodge the large chunk of marble doom, the debris shot around them like missiles after the ear splitting impact. The boy called Finni lifted another and another of these busts, chucking them like they were footballs. Two pairs of feet flew down the stairs to take further evasive action. They could hear Ivy –Walking okay WALKING- after them without much apprehension in her voice.

"Sebastian is going to eat the flesh from your bones, you two." Her foot kicked at some gravel for emphasis.

"IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?" Dagger shrieked in disbelief over what was happening. After dodging another so-called 'piece of ammo' he threw a handful of Dagger at their assailants to buy some time. The two guys hid behind the rail post, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. That is until the fingers of his left hand were crushed in a grip that was beyond vice-like. "What did I say about throwing knives at me?"

"DAGGER!" Beast bellowed as Dagger stared on in shock into the girl's eyes. She lashed out with her whip and Ivy barely dodged, shoving him at her. The protective indignation faltered slightly as the leather-clad woman had to catch her stumbling comrade. Ivy used the opportunity to speedily draw a sword and hold it to Dagger's throat, both he and Beast froze and then blinked in confusion when she lowered the blade and motioned with it for them to go.

"You should be running, don't you think?" She smiled mischievously.

"Tch! Come on, Dagger let's move!" Beast pulled him along. And so the cat loves to play with its prey.

"Shit, my hand." He choked hurrying alongside her and clutching his arm to his chest. "We'll deal with them later! First we need to get the target."

"Gotcha. Why don't we search for the room from each side?" Beast proposed, being in the zone of an adrenaline buzz was a really good way to forget about one's troubles. They flung open another door without a second thought as they barreled through the unfamiliar place. But then as they entered what appeared to be a large parlor for entertaining guests, they found that the room had been rigged, with strings on every possible entrance, to ring the servant's bells. Crap…

Beast growled and flew in the opposite direction with her companion in close pursuit. "A trap!?"

"Big sis, I'm so sorry!" Dagger apologized profusely for his bull-headedness, still clutching his arm by the wrist. There was no time for remorse now. They both hightailed it down the hall intent on making a left. Only to skid to a stop when Beast caught sight of Maylene who had quickly found her way into the manor already.

"Keep your head down!" She shouted at Dagger. He made a startled sound of confusion but did as she said anyway. With the crack of her whip, the tiger trainer lassoed one of them stuffy looking paintings from its perch and swung it about. It had been a long shot, but it worked as a shield against the maroon haired gunslinger's bullets, enough to buy them time to make a break for it.

"What the hell do the maids carry in this house?" The young marksman exclaimed in exasperation. Maylene ducked behind the doorframe to avoid a handful of blades.

"Lets get back, Dagger!" They bolted to get back to the main hall. Falling back for a better approach to this was probably the best idea. Then they heard her voice again.

"Now that was impressive. Almost as impressive as your lack of respect for perfectly good artwork. Seriously, hundreds of paintings in this hall and you manage to pulverize the _one _work with a positive theme to it?" Ivy muttered, standing with her arms folded in disapproval at the top of the narrow staircase they approached. Two pairs of eyes glared up at her challengingly. "Going up?" She inquired casually as if discussing today's dinner. It was ridiculous how convincing each tone she used was; no trace of mirth could be detected. Up they charged, straight toward their unmoving target.

As expected the whip was let loose first, due to the knife thrower currently being one handed. "Don't you ever learn?" The green-eyed doll of a girl asked wearily, catching the leather strip in a vice's grip.

It all happened practically within a second. Beast had endeavored to use the lower angle she stood at to drag the girl tumbling down the stairs and Dagger could finish her with a quickly executed throw. Her idea may have worked if not for one problem. Ivy's foot braced itself on the top stair and began to pull Beast _upwards_ instead toward her. Her eyes popped at the immense strength hidden in such a small body. The older woman braced her own feet against the corner of the stairs. No way could she allow her to have the whip.

"I'm not playing with you right now. Come. **_Here!_**" With a powerful jerk Beast was airborne and Dagger exclaimed in surprise. She had to be some kind of monster!

"**_Sis_**!" His knives broke through the air with a soft whistle. They were deadly projectiles but to Ivy who had, had to dodge Sebastian's butter knives… and actual bullets… it was more like having a handful of marshmallows thrown at her. She caught one just in time to hold it to Beast's throat threateningly.

"Ah! Thank you, Dagger." His teeth clenched as he instantly stopped his sprint toward the petite monster girl. How could he hope to be quicker than her? He twirled a knife between his good fingers, but pursed his lips helplessly at the idea that she could easily kill Beast on a whim.

"What are you waiting for? Do it!" Beast snarled bitterly over her shoulder. Ivy simply ignored her and continued to stare Dagger down.

"You aren't going to let me kill her are you?" She raised an elegant eyebrow at him. "I expected a bit more trouble from you people."

"Why you…" His growl was uncharacteristic for the bright eyed and cheerful Dagger that was normally seen, fists shaking. His throwing was obviously not going to help him now. Beast got a grip on her forearm and pulled down as she bent over, flipping Ivy ,who seemed to have no qualms about it, upwards and over her head.

"Do it, Dagger!" The leather clad circus woman exclaimed. Instead of crash landing along the stairs, the neko gracefully landed on her feet as her male opponent chucked several of his daggers at her, aiming for vitals. Still she skipped no beats and used the knife she had commandeered to knock them aside as he continued to throw. Creeping closer and closer to him as she went. Her extra keen ears caught the sound of leather breaking air and she whirled aside and caught Beast's thin offending wrist in a painful lock. She gave a harsh cry in response. Dagger moved to rush the monstrous young lady while she was occupied and Ivy's lip curled.

"Get DROPPED, BITCHES!" She used the momentum of Beast's strike to send her barreling down the stairs, straight into Dagger who went tumbling along down with her. They landed in an agonized heap at the bottom of the set. "And you'll STAY on the damn ground!"

Dagger was the first to look up at her and see the silhouette of her ears and bright glow of her eyes now in plain sight. No hiding necessary this time. Beast looked at her and completely froze. "_Wh-what kind of monster **are you!?**_" He shrieked up at her, punching the tile beneath him. Her eyes popped and then sharpened with clear indignation. Did scum like him have the gall to consider the idea that he had any right to call her a monster? Large eyes narrowed down at him.

"Me? Certainly not the sort that assists in the kidnap, murder, and potential rape of children, I can tell you that much." As she made steady progress down the stairs Beast noticed that all this time she hadn't even been wearing shoes. Dagger just made a sound of anguish and lowered his forehead to the ground, not wanting to look at those eyes anymore. "Get up." She told them harshly. "Get up and face your choices." Beast glared up at her now.

"Don't talk about us like you know anything!"

"I know that we can't expect respectable results if we push the combination of men, priorities, and decision making on you, Beast. Get up, and keep moving, you weak willed child. Salvage whatever respect I may have left for you."

Dagger weakly lifted his head, and began to push himself up. "What is she talking about?" Beast did not look him in the eye and he felt a cold twinge of dread in his chest. He moved to help her stand but she pulled away, keeping her head bowed in shame, and rose to her feet. "What did you do to her?" He shouted at Ivy in accusation. She simply stared at him impassively.

"Are you… and him… the same?" Beast asked, terrified of receiving an answer. She recalled all the times they had seen him in action, the higher plane he seemed to live on in every aspect. The light in the girl's eyes was different now…sympathetic.

"I wish I could offer you words of comfort, beast tamer, but there are none. No, we aren't the same…in fact… he's worse…far **_far _**worse." At her words, Beast began to hyperventilate softly, what did she mean? What _were _these people supposed to be? She began to feel sick again. Starting to feel a sharp twist of fear and anxiety in his gut, Dagger grabbed Beast's hand.

"Sis! Snap out of it! Come on, we have to find the target! NOW!"

Beast's jaw clicked with the tension between her teeth. "We don't need your pity."

"I don't pity you. I think you're an utter idiot, a stupid pair of puppets. There is a difference."

"We never wanted to hurt those children." Dagger murmured lowly.

"Here we go again." Ivy massaged her temples. "Do you all just need to justify your actions before you die?" Beast aimed one last high kick at her, which she sidestepped.

"We don't owe a privileged chit like you any explanation!" Another kick was dodged, and responded to with a roundhouse kick to the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Ivy hissed down at her and leaped backwards to avoid Daggers sudden assault.

"Sis, come on! We can't go this way! Lets just get out!"

Ivy watched them go with a shake of her head. Privileged indeed.

….

The duo ran up the main stairwell only to have their path's blocked by the sound of monstrous footsteps. The shape of the garden boy appeared from the darkness of the opposite hall. "Fooooound~… the mice!" He cheered happily. They were exhausted, but the rush of adrenaline kept them moving.

"There he is again!" Dagger sounded both frustrated and outraged now.

"Down! Go down!" The pair of 'mice' practically bounded four steps at a time down to the lower levels of the manor. Dagger could not cease his ranting as they dashed frantically to take cover.

"What the hell are they? No matter what angle you come at, this place is twisted! I-it's a _nightmare!_"

"Yeah." Beast agreed, schooling her expression to remain focused. "With all this firepower, the Earl_ must_ be hiding around here somewhere." Her younger companion however, did not seem to share her determination.

"This time we'd better retreat. Let's meet up with big bro and the others. Joker wasn't with us today either." His voice, though significantly calmer than it was a few minutes ago, was now slightly raspy and trembled. Any other time, she would have insisted that they could do it. Such was how Beast got her namesake. But the mention of Joker's name had her swimming in her own guilt and anxiety again. She looked down at her feet. A fish net gloved hand reached up to stroke the woolen red scarf that the smiling red head and given to her.

"Joker…" She whispered softly to herself. This time, she would back down. Maybe if they went down far enough they could find the cellar and make it out of one of those basement windows. What they came across did not look like a cellar though.

"What's this?"

The voice that interjected then was familiarly smug and American.

"Getting you down the stairs sure was hard, huh, Mr. and Mrs. Goose. End of the line. Welcome to my kitchen." At this point Beast was beyond livid and fed up with this maze of death theme going on. She immediately lashed out at him with her whip.

"Can you really afford to say that while facing us unarmed?!" She roared like the beast she was.

"Whoops!"

He ducked and barrel rolled away, out running a swift line of daggers. Where on earth did that guy get all those knives? "Idiots." He grunted. "The kitchen is the chef's sacred sanctuary, where not even the butler can raise his voice to him. There is also a load of tools that the butler doesn't even know about." The thick linen curtain he ducked behind blocked another wave of daggers. "For example…" Out he whipped –no- swung a large shining piece of machinery, unlike anything either intruder had ever seen before. Was that a…?

As if to answer the unspoken question a loud barreling stream of bullets roared into action. Gun!? Dagger could barely utter a sound as he sprung into action, shielding the woman he loved as he threw them both out of the weapons path.

"What the hell is that!" He found his voice. "It's the latest piece of weaponry brought back from America by a Mr. Higham. Alright, lets do this." Another barrage of bullets sounded.

"BIG SIS!" He wasn't quick enough to get out of there this time… but at least…

"Gee, war sure has changed since my day!" He cheered. "Chefs most of all, have to be good at using their hands! So savor it well!"

When it finally became silent, Beast blinked weakly, barely cognizant about what just happened. Distantly, the beaten down woman could hear that yank bastard chattering about some technical problems with his weapon. "I'll have to tell the young master it's too early for mass production yet." Oh she'd mass-produce her foot up his ass. If only she could move with all this dead weight on her, where was Dagger when you needed him? Wait… there was something warm trickling on her arms and neck. No…no. No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! The sight of Dagger's dyed hair crusted with blood falling over her shoulder was enough to confirm her fears. He wasn't move… just…hanging there. So limp. So lifeless…the scream that erupted was inevitable.

"DAGGER!" With newfound strength she sat up and turned him over. He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be. Dagger was NOT DEAD! Weakly his eyes blinked up at her dazedly. Lighting up in recognition they narrowed into a tender sort of smile. Even now, Dagger was still smiling for her. "Dagger, you IDIOT!" She admonished.

"_G-goo…d-…y…safe." _He wheezed. "_Sis…go…run to Joker." _

"Dagger, stop it!" Tears began to form in his eyes as she held him to her. She had never held him like this before in his life.

"_I… I wanted to take…you big sis… over the hills." _'No." She thought. 'No, don't close your eyes!' But this time Dagger did not give Beast what she wanted.

"**_DAGGER!" _**Beast shook him once and got no response. There was solemn silence following this moment, and the buxom woman clutched her little friend, weeping bitterly.

"He can't suffer anymore, Beast." Ivy stood in the doorway, speaking in a calm subdued tone. She walked over to stand beside Bard. Beast's eyes looked absolutely rabid when she gazed up at the neko. The yank opened his mouth.

"I'd have liked to meet a beauty like you while drinking tepid beer in a pub." When he said this, Ivy gave him a 'pushing-the-line-there-Bard' look.

"**_I WONT FORGIVE YOU!_**"

"Forgive? You should **_thank _**us for destroying him before he could find out what you really are!" This time Bard gave Ivy a look. Beast was eerily silent. "What would he think, Beast? What would the sweet, cheerful, goofball, Dagger think of you if he knew that this whole case was wrapped up in the first place, thanks to _you_? Would he still keep you on such a high pedestal? It would have broken his heart to know what was said and done in that tent and you know it." Bard stared on in confusion. With a wild war cry, Beast swung her whip at the two servants with new energy. They ducked behind the table as the flour bags they set up were struck open. The powder filled the air.

"Well at least he has the hope for a happier ending, unlike you. I guess_ he's_ never going to see you again then. Come to think of it neither will we!" She and Bard crawled along as she swung the whip until flour filled the kitchen like a fog. Her vision was obstructed.

"You plan on running in this state?!" She bellowed.

"Nope!" Bard called back. "Finni!" On cue, the corner of the wall behind them was suddenly and very clamorously plowed into by a great physical force from outside. Chips and bricks flew around the room like the splinters of a wooden mast in an intense ocean battle. "Pre-cooking done, my lovely assistant."

"Get out of here already, suck up."

Beast looked on in astonishment as Bard turned back to regard her. "See? It's like I said, the kitchen holds many secrets, and I'll tell you _one. _Did you know that flour is flammable?" He casually climbed up the rope that the reddish haired maid and blonde little gardener lowered for him. "The finer the flour is cut, the better it burns. If the concentration of flour in the air is high enough, it becomes the same as exploding gas."

Ivy gracefully leapt out on her own with a quick, girlish 'excuse me!' Finnian grabbed her hand anyway just in case as she did so. "You ever remember hearing the story of the Minnesota Wheat Flour Mill that blew eighteen people into oblivion?" Dark eyes grew into saucers. "Sorry Miss, but this is our job."

….

"They are the private army hand selected by Sebastian and I for employment." Ciel remained A private…army? Joker's smug look satisfaction vanished now. He looked like they had threatened his very life.

"Wha..?"

….

"To protect the Phantomhive family's secrets and pride."

….

_"Those…"_

_…._

"Are the Phantomhive-"

….

_"…-family servants."_

_…._

Bard lit his cigarette, taking his sweet time with the match. "Sayonara." He tossed the match and Beast could see her life flashing before her eyes. A series of shapes and shadows that formed into familiar images flitted across her mind until one image stood out from the rest. She could see everybody...they were walking happily together just a few paces ahead of her. In full costume they pranced as if walked towards the ultimate show. Closest to her in the center, was the tall, broad shouldered, youth that she had loved all her life. He turned to face her over his shoulder with a smile and she could almost hear his earrings jingle together as they always did.

"Jo-"

-**BOOM!-**

The resulting explosion was beyond cataclysmic, demolishing most of the manor's left wing and shooting debris miles into the nearby woodlands. Trees splintered and grass was uprooted. In the silence of the aftermath Ivy stood up and surveyed the damage surrounding the barricade that was the greenhouse. They had ducked behind it just in time. Placing a hand to her forehead she shook her head and let out a puff of breath. Normally to do a job so destructively was not her style, but Ivy had hoped that demolishing a whole wing of the house would give her satisfaction for being left here with the servants and Lady Elizabeth… and maybe even abate other frustrations. But instead she could only feel hollow about tonight's accomplishment.

She could neither find joy or regret, and it was at these moments that Ivy felt truly afraid. Afraid of herself and the fact that she was capable of feeling _nothing_ sometimes. What an ugly way to live that must be… not feeling the swells of deep emotion and slight trickles of ordinary mundane feelings that come day to day. Was that not what made being alive an experience? She had never actually gotten the opportunity to kill somebody before. No tears for the likes of them, and yet she felt that she wouldn't have spat on their graves if she had been given that chance. What would she have done in their position? Clasping her hands she turned to her fellow servants.

"Well." She spoke as briskly as possible. "I guess we'll have to section off the left wing with our heaviest drapes to keep out the cold tonight. Extra coke for the fireplaces too. And…please tell Tanaka to help clean out the more…unsavory bits of debris as much as possible…before they start to smell." With her eyes cast down in thought she walked away before they could respond.

….

"I am…sure I've said this before but… as Phantomhive servants… you are to perform the jobs presented to you as quietly as a shadow." Sebastian began, standing stiffly as he surveyed the damage of his young master's home. "That is what servant's are… so…" Now his eyes narrowed and he towered menacingly over the brood. His voice took on a more threatening tone. "_How many times do I have to spell out Q-U-I-E-T-L-Y before you understand its meaning?" _

"WE'RE SO SOOOORRYYY!" The servant trio chorused their usual mantra, groveling for mercy. Ivy made no such apologies. No manner of punishment would maker her regret all this damage. Served him right for making her come here to watch them AND take care of the Lady Elizabeth all at once. Not to mention spending the whole week being a douchenozzle to her.

"Just a moment, Mister Michaelis-" She interjected. He simply caught her arm and pulled her apart from the others, startling her.

"I will deal with you presently, Miss Ivy. I find you doubly accountable so you shouldn't concern yourself with how I deal with the others." The angry neko jerked her arm away.

"Don't _touch me_, you ass-hat." There was less indignation and more cold conviction in her tone than how she usually responded to him. "You're a _user _and I don't put forth my best efforts for _users_ so if you're upset about all this damage then good, awesome. I did what I set out to do." Rather than waste schedule time, Sebastian dropped an empty bag over her head.

"When I said presently, I didn't actually mean within the present. There is no need to be so anxious to pick up where we left off at the townhouse. Scream all you want later, for now we have a mess to deal with."

Bard perked up but said nothing. 'What about the townhouse?' He thought. Ivy snatched the bag away with an enraged flush covering her face. It seemed the both of them were rather testy.

"You are doing one hell of a job trying to get me to lower my voice! I haven't even **_begun _**to scream and you know it!" Even as she ranted she shook out the bag that was 'handed' to her. It was pretty obvious what these bags were for anyway, so to distract herself, she began to toss stray debris into the sack on her own. There was a measure of something different that seemed to be bothering her, that wasn't there before she left from the townhouse in London.

"You three start cleaning up the things that are scattered about, please. Leave the repairs and general affairs to me." He couldn't help but bag a bit of debris here and there from his path even as he spoke. Very compulsive…almost like a bird if someone like him could be compared to such a thing. Ivy scoffed to herself; it would explain his pointy nose. When the neko snickered at her own thoughts, he gave her an odd look and she just stuck her tongue out at him. She could hear him continue to speak to the others but mostly drowned him out.

"Tanaka will…" He trailed upon catching sight of a red woolen string. It was rather bright and stark against the other colors among the ruined bits of disaster that used to be part of the manor. Gloved fingers examined the thread between thumb and forefinger. It looked somewhat familiar to him but he couldn't quite place it. "…Be fine with just the usual."

Ivy just rolled her eyes. In other words the old man was going to sit around on his ass inhaling green tea all day. Almost simultaneously both Sebastian and Ivy caught sight of the charred red scarf lying in a heap amidst the destruction. Through some fluke -or cruel prank perhaps- of fate, the butler reached for the article just as Ivy did. He eyed the burned and tattered item with certain unreadable familiarity and the neko immediately slapped away his hand.

"Didn't you say you had other things to attend to?" Her tone was waspish. He looked at her and a brief cold glance of contempt was all that he needed as she roughly stuffed it into her bag. She suddenly became increasingly uncomfortable, as he seemed to be intensely staring now, trying to confirm a connection or two in his mind of some sort. Stroking his chin, he was about to respond, but Ivy would have none of it. Sharply, she stood to her full height and walked away, opting to ignore him. Was it that bad of a sign to feel his eyes burning into the back of her skull?

"Remorse, little one?" His breath felt unusually hot in her ear. She grimaced with a miserable expression before rearing on him.

"If only it could be something that simple. Despite all the complicated factors of the situation I don't feel anything over my participation in the eradication of Noah's Arc Circus. I can't celebrate it, nor can I mourn it. Everything is so incomplete and hazy, where I should feel pity or perhaps vindication, I feel _hollow _and warped." Pale hands clutched at her apron. "You don't understand what it is to go through life feeling emotions as deeply as I do and then suddenly come across those moments where you feel **_nothing_**. It's…so frightening…like living from two points of view. Now do you see what I mean when I say I'm torn between two natures? I will never be one thing or the other. I'll just…_be._ To go through life feeling nothing must be a hideous way to live and I don't know how you can stand it, Sebastian." She shook her head, looking at the ground.

"I wouldn't know." The demon played with a rebellious strand of her hair that escaped its bun. "I have never felt any other way about such things as death. The line between human and demoness in you seems to blur together and I find that _very _enthralling."

"I don't know whether to pity or to be jealous of you." She muttered dryly, for once not really caring about his proximity. Bringing her hands up to rest against her chest, she sighed. "I see that you've marked a soul for yourself." At her statement, the butler looked a bit surprised.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. I noticed last night; my eyes are quicker to pick up on a marked soul than most." Standing so close, they spoke in hushed tones and to the other servants it looked like such a tender moment from afar.

"You've managed to surprise once again." He answered simply.

"Mmm." A soft hum was her only response. "So…when did you do it? Before we left?" She knew it had to be that night. "…You were at the first tier tents before we left so it only makes sense. Why haven't you fed yourself even now?" Slender arms folded over her chest. Ivy really wasn't sure whether or not he was paying attention to what she way saying, his hands seemed a bit busy petting the top of her head.

"Would you _stop that_?" She jerked her head backwards and placed her hands over her head. It was obvious that he was edging towards sneaking a feel of her ears. His chuckle was deep and genuine. Ivy gave a small huff of breath; she really had grown way too used to him. "Freak of nature, and here I thought you were angry at me for letting Bard blow up the kitchens and cellar…among other things." Her eyes surveyed the extensive damage done. It really was amazing how Sebastian could make something as noncommittal as a shrug seem elegant and well placed.

"One mustn't cry over spilled milk." He stated and Ivy face-palmed.

"You guys think I'M bipolar? Seriously? You actually seem to be in fairly high spirits. You're always extra oily during your good moods. I'm guessing despite the condition of the young master's home, the case went smoothly and on schedule?" Ivy wanted to quickly change the direction of their conversation away from the circus, Beast, and her terrible mood as much as possible. Maybe then he would leave her alone for a while and she could forget about how he had nearly coerced the reasons for her bad mood out of her. If it hadn't been for Tanaka's call… The little maid shuddered.

"Indeed it did, there was a snag with that detestable reaper the night before our departure but I managed to compromise and get what I needed."

"And then some." Ivy put in, making him pause and look at her. She blinked back. "…What? …Beast's soul, Sebastian! Her bloody soul! Get with it! I want to know why!" Why did she have to feel so damn weird talking about this? He raised a thin eyebrow.

"Yes of course. Fortunately my information gathering happened to be successful and all went as planned but I am most intrigued-"

"Good for you, oh giant, creepy, master of the boogey men. I'm sure you've made your ancestors very proud." The neko was genuinely disinterested in hearing about how well his 'interrogation' went. EW times infinity, to the fourth power, times twelve, plus one thousand. She moved to walk away and two hands caught her elbow and drew her back with a scoff.

"_But I am most intrigued…"_ He repeated. "By the hint of what looks as though my chosen method _might_ have triggered a rather… serendipitous side-effect that I hadn't expected." At this, Ivy groaned.

"Ugh. If you aren't going to tell me why you wont eat then just say so. I certainly have no idea what you could mean by that, and I'd rather you didn't elaborate on it. My brain has had to deal with enough mental illness to last it and myself ten lifetimes. Anymore insanity and said poor brain will give up on life." Ivy dutifully began to pick up scattered bricks and tossing them into the bag she still held.

"Well then…" He leaned over her shoulder, making the hairs on her neck stand on end. "There is much left to do, waking the young master, tending to he and the Lady Elizabeth, general repairs, and your impending performance of course." At the last statement Ivy gave a horrified gasp. "Not to worry, little one. I haven't forgotten about that." He gave that pasted smile again. Oh the horror. The absolute mortification she was **already **feeling! She whipped around, chucking a brick at him to regain distance between them.

"Don't patronize me! Yo- ACK!" He pinched her cheeks in both hands. "GRRUUH!" The neko maid struggled, holding onto his wrists.

"You should be more careful where you throw things. You might have damaged a window." The butler admonished, with a saccharine smile. Leaning forward he spoke in a low tone again. "I still haven't forgotten about my little question either…" He informed, grinning. It was when she kicked him in the shin that he released her. Still as forceful as ever it seemed.

"Go choke on a chainsaw and bring your precious windows with you!" She snapped.

"My how poetic."

"Okay. Seriously. Shut up. Shut. Up. SHUT-THE- HELL-UP right now."

"It would be wise for you not to scream your voice hoarse, Miss Ivy."

"OH MY GOD WHAT DID I JUST SAY? UUUUGGHHH!" The little half-breed gave up and ran away, covering her ears. Sebastian beamed and followed calmly after her with sparkles practically floating around his head.

"Now, now, little one. Don't leave your brick behind." He teased. After this little conversation, Sebastian decided that he would most definitely get an answer.

Meanwhile, Bard watched the spectacle with a shake of his head.

"Those two are: So. Damn. **_Disturbing._**" He muttered.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay. So I can't say I'm satisfied with that last scene. Everything feels kinda jumbled and I only managed to get one Sebby/Ivy moment in too Dx. Next Chapter shall hopefully be more satisfying for me. I'd like to say more here but I forgot everything I was going to write and it's really beyond late right now. So review and I hope you guys enjoyed it regardless. I'm off to edit and major disruption I found in the story. Ciao my beauties.

P.S. I can't wait to write out a jealous Sebby. Brainstorming on how I should write him exactly. XDD!


	34. That Maid, Appearances

Author's Note: NEXT! Hey ho there folks! Here is my newest chapter for Kitten is Angry. Let's get down to the gritty here. More of my original plot shall be mentioned and moved upon during this chapter. Finally. So here I am getting started and I just wanted to say a few random things. I am hoping to write jealous Sebby in a way that he doesn't lose his charm, it shall be a challenge but I am looking forward to it. So far I don't think he's been given a very particularly good reason to feel _completely_ jealous, oh but he'll get one. The latest manga chapter was rather interesting; at least they've begun to move things along. Anywhoodles let us go forth to and through this new chappie shall we? See you at the bottom! ***singing in male opera voice*** "Hold your head even higher and into the fire we gooooooooo!"

Disclaimer: I do not own kuroshitsuji or anything in the kuro universe. I also think disclaiming every single chapter is a waste of time but hey what do I know? Moving on so my lack of updates doesn't get me murdered.

**Chapter Thirty-Four: That Maid, Appearances**

"_Jealousy is the dragon in paradise, the hell of heaven; and most bitter of the emotions because it is associated with the sweetest." –_ Alfred R. Orage

"Ca-va~!"

Aw, shit on a cracker! Ivy could both feel Nina's presence and hear her voice from the entrance. The halfling shuddered at the idea of going to Maylene's aid. She loved May but there was nothing she could do and she preferred not to be pawed on by a psychotic pervert. The day had been crappy enough as is. No, instead she opted to hurry down the hall to interrupt a few of those 'general affairs.' Breezing through the halls it was easy to track down anybody she wanted to find with her abilities. Catching herself along the wall to twirl girlishly around a corner, she now quite successfully stood in front of Sebastian Michaelis who held a load of lumber over one shoulder.

The demon waited for her to speak with a raised brow.

"I just thought you'd like to be aware that a certain dress weaving perverted octopus with glasses, that you and Ciel insist on employing all the time, has made her fabulous entrance into the main entrance hall." She informed crisply. Broad shoulders almost slumped as the butler's face fell.

"She used the main entrance _**again.**_" Sebastian used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I fail to understand why you think she'd someday have a magical epiphany and listen to you. She hates you. Plus these high fashion tailors see themselves as the crème de la crème, why on earth would she opt to use the back entrance?" Ivy reasoned.

"I don't care if she believes herself to be next in line to the throne, her behavior is inexcusable." He grumbled. Really one would think Sebastian actually believed in English tradition by the way he spoke. In all actuality he was just a stickler for perfection. His contract required that he be an English butler, to completely adopt it. Whenever it seemed to him that these ridiculous mortals were ruining his aesthetic by not cooperating with his general knowledge of human social etiquette as it should be in the environment he was recreating, they were labeled rude or a nuisance. Perhaps both. Oh yeah the neko had many things figured out about Sebastian Michaelis's compulsions.

"You may as well just get used to it. Oh and she's probably terrorizing the others by now, you'd better get on that." She patted his shoulder and pranced off.

"While you're here then, I should ask that you pour the young master and his fiancée their tea."

"Whatever you wish, oh great grand mashtah of darkness." Ivy spoke in her usual snarky manner whenever he bossed her around. She took long curt strides down the hall. "After all tea time is the most important meal of the day!" She called sarcastically over her shoulder. "London would fall if we didn't take precious time out of our day to boil leaves and kill any nutrients the body might gain from it with cream, milk, or sugar! Stupid aristocrats and their weird impulses."

"Tea is a long standing tradition, Miss Ivy. Just see that it is done."

"And it doesn't even _**taste good!**_" She noted loudly. Didn't they ever get tired of saturating themselves with tea?

"Are you done with your deep philosophizing, little one?" The butler sighed sarcastically placing a hand over his forehead. Ivy laughed and sauntered off, happy to contribute to his mental exhaustion.

….

Trust. Did Jet Bercarius ever trust that wretched Ashcroft tracker at any point in his life? Of course not. Not for an instant. So then why had he chosen him to come on this mission? It was quite simple; he hadn't. Jet wanted the best tracker to prove his father wrong about his skills at choosing a team. Much to his surprise the clan's best tracker, the prodigy, volunteered on his own. Jet's first instinct was to refuse; there was no way that an Ashcroft would work with one from his family unless they had ulterior motives. Yet with some thought…he became puzzled. He could find no potentially harmful motives that could be driving him.

Cavin of Ashcroft had always hated the little creature as much as anybody else. Also, on _that day_ when a hunting party was sent after that wretched, meddling, little…_thing -_Salena's errand runner- it was Cavin who tracked and killed him. Afterwards he had come to spend most of his time out tracking and eliminating unwanted scum in order to heighten his skills. Becoming completely obsessed with being the best, he would hunt down the little halfbreed with him for the sake of gaining skill. Because of this, Jet was loath to admit, that he was now incurably curious.

It would be a historical event to see Ashcroft set against Ashcroft, just like back then. The Bercarius family was always happy to inflict this sort of discord upon the Ashcrofts. So to simply see it unfold on its own had been amusing at least. Now it looked like it would be happening again sometime soon. And so Jet agreed to bring Kale along on these grounds and on the grounds of his unparalleled prowess among the clan.

Now that this new face arrived however, Jet felt suddenly unsettled. At first he had not been the least bit alarmed. The lagging of their little expedition had been grating too much on his nerves so he had been more focused on picking up the pace. To find that slippery little creature and spirit her away back to where she belonged. To make sure she got what she deserved. The young demon had been a bit side tracked but these past few patrols had his suspicions raised.

The kitsune who called himself 'Shin' refused to patrol with anybody other than that wretched Ashcroft who brought him along. Certainly it didn't seem much of a big deal at first but… they stayed out on patrol and never separated during said patrol. Wouldn't they cover more ground if they split up? None of his faithful scouts or imps would be able to get close enough to keep an eye on them without Cavin noticing either. His family and their dirty parlor trick saw to that. Not to mention the fact that two of the finest trackers alive couldn't seem to get a hold on a single trace of a simple half-bred little girl for so long. If Jet didn't know better… he could have sworn that he was being stalled.

And now here stood the expert tracker himself, green eyes the perfect picture of confident indifference as he looked him in the eye and explained why he had returned from patrol short one fox sprite. "We found a trail." He grinned. Jet narrowed his eyes but the Ashcroft of course was undaunted. That family knew no respect. "I know, I know. I'm wonderful, no need to thank me, I wouldn't hold you to the same standards as I would my peers." Oooooh to cut off his head would be bliss.

"What has that to do with, your- …Shin's absence?" The young Bercarius asked; keeping a stone faced expression with great effort.

"Halfbreed or not, our target is of Ashcroft. Shin graciously agreed to scout ahead and confirm her presence himself so that there would be no risk of having our… presences detected and recognized."

"She was eight years old the last time either of us had even seen her." The response was flat and unimpressed.

"Oh prince of the in-bred slime balls themselves, future leader of the Bercarius ass-monkeys, you _must _already know that an Ashcroft forgets _**nothing **_by now." There was no need to conceal the menacing tone in his voice.

"For someone with such a sharp tongue, you are rather careless with how you wave it around. Take caution that it doesn't decapitate you one of these days."

"…Right. Anyway if you're done with the over dramatic death threats, we can keep discussing the matter at hand!" Cavin perked. "No opponent is to be underestimated, that kind of thinking is why you'll never best an Ashcroft. Shin will follow the trail on his own and report to us in due time once he has found her." Jet stared at his life long enemy for a long moment, pondering on how he should proceed with his newly found suspicions. All he could do for now was wait but then what?

"Very well. In the meantime patrols will be continued, but I will be going with you this time." He decided. Cavin pulled a face.

"Ew. Rain check please. Patrols are technically no longer necessary and I'd really rather have my foot chopped off than spend half a day standing next to you."

"Patrols _will _be continued until confirmation is given. Until then we keep looking, that sort of inefficient thinking is why you'll never best the Bercarius." He threw his enemy's words back at him.

"Suit yourself. It's your own time you're wasting, and you can't make me go on patrol with you. I'm going for a drink."

"Why you-!" Jet snarled.

"Then again! I'll be willing to keep patrolling if you let me scout by myself."

Leave him unwatched? "Not a chance." Jet shook his head adamantly.

"Then I'll be getting that drink and damn your patrols to the depths. If you follow me or send anybody else to follow me, I'll kill them or simply castrate you and send the results to your father."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Be careful what you wish for."

"Get out of my sight."

"More than happily."

….

When Sebastian opened the door to the parlor with Miss Hopkins in tow, Ivy was far more relieved than she should have been. Lady Elizabeth had been trying to cheer up the mopey Ciel Phantomhive with pointless chatter and the tension had been killing the silent neko. She simply showed up to served them tea but was worried for the little blonde who invested so much in the relationship she had with her fiancée. Ciel had just returned from a case and was likely low due to the nature of what had probably transpired in such a scenario. Ivy couldn't say for sure, but somebody had been killed or else, Ciel would just be his usual frigid self, trying to put on a smile for Lizzy. Now he barely bothered to even look at her.

"Nina!" Lizzy rose from her seat and glided over to greet the tailor who stooped to place a kiss on the girl's cheek.

"Aren't _you_ in a good temper today, Lady Elizabeth. You're as lovely as always."

"Thank you!" Lizzy glowed at the compliment. For now all was well it seemed, but Ivy was tense for an entirely different reason all together. Not wanting to be noticed by the creepy lady she took shelter, standing just behind Sebastian's elbow as he busily referred to his little black book. Catching sight of Ciel, Nina's eyes shimmered.

"The Earl is still a beautiful boy as always. How amazing." Ciel on the other hand had no taste for such compliments and only felt discomfort under her gaze. Ivy whole-heartedly sympathized with him. When the bespectacled blonde caught sight of the neko, she clutched Sebastian's sleeve at the elbow and cursed under her breath. The demon briefly glanced at her and the starry-eyed seamstress, but paid it no mind except for a quirk of the lips. Ivy knew this was probably revenge for laughing at him over Grell all the time.

"Oh dear! How could I have over-looked such beauty? It's lovely to see you as well, Miss Ivy." She kissed the dark maid's hand. Ivy contemplated just how horrible it would be if she decided to burn off that whole area of flesh. "Ah, and you have your hair loose today. How lovely." Working in the yard had taken its toll and Ivy decided that there was no use trying to keep her bun in place today until after it was over. Nina reached out to appreciate the soft voluminous tresses when suddenly as if setting the boundary, Sebastian Michaelis tugged her out of reach. Ivy scoffed at the action, knowing that she would have snapped at her in front of the young master's fiancée if he hadn't done so. She had specifically told the mad woman to never touch her hair, and it seemed Sebastian remembered this.

"Well then, Miss Hopkins." He ignored the irritated scowl on the woman's face for hogging the dark dainty little thing once again. Miss Ivy was utter fascination. "Please tailor some suits for the young master today." Rust like eyes never left the page he was looking over. "We also need an outfit for him to wear on Easter, and a matching dress for Lady Elizabeth."

"A matching dress with flowery decorations would be nice!" Lizzy put in her two cents radiantly. Ever the little lady.

"Leave it to me." When the woman reached for the buckle at her skirt Ivy knew what was coming and moved behind Sebastian completely. Someone needed to dismiss her already so she could run away from the wall of awkward assaulting the room. The skirt was whipped away to reveal those same short-shorts with garters from before. Lizzy screamed and Ciel looked on in astonishment. Ivy smothered a laugh, never thinking she would have ever seen Ciel carry the ordinary expression of any other boy who had just been flashed. Sebastian as usual had no reaction but seemed to stare at the floor in deep thought.

Nina rambled a lecture about measurements and men, and Ivy suddenly wanted to hang herself with the measuring tape. Ciel, it seemed, was still having a hard time focusing. "Earl? Are you listening?"

"Y-yes…" He stuttered. Ciel grumpy gills, stick in the mud, fearless _Phantomhive_ had just stuttered. Ivy covered her mouth and choked on a snicker. They stood him on a footstool and had him remove his jacket. At this point Ivy no longer wished to be dismissed, completely and irreversibly curious now. They stood the boy up on a stool and Nina dutifully began measurements, working the measuring tape expertly. She gave a forlorn sigh, not even aware of the boy's miserable expression. Ivy observed silently.

"Ahh, I wonder if you'll ever grow up Earl; you're still so small now." Ha, nothing new there. Ivy found it oddly amusing that Nina could get away with talking to Ciel this way, and take him out of his comfort zone like this. "Come to think of it, you'll never wear my handmade evening dress again will you?" Wait…what? Ivy shifted her gaze to the Earl and he flew into a panic. Both she and Sebastian began to quietly smother laughter. "I regret that I wasn't able to see you in it…"

"WHAAAAAA-"

"I heard rumors of twin tails-"

"AAHHHHHHHHH!"

Elizabeth tuned in on the conversation. "What? What are you talking about?" She was the perfect picture of innocence, with made Ivy's eyes narrow skeptically. The conversation was not at all veiled it would be impossible for anybody to not know that Ciel had worn a gown. Just how much did Lizzy opt to conceal her perception? Nobody was that stupid and Ivy knew exactly what it was to pretend to be something you are not. Ciel didn't seem to think twice about it and banished her to the other side of the room instantly.

"NOTHING! GO OVER THERE!" _'Embarrassed, Earl?'_ Ivy grinned internally. Nina finished up the measurements and thoroughly looked over the results on her chart.

"The more I look at it, the more splendid these proportions actually are. Boyish smooth legs, delicate shoulders, a slim waist…" The atmosphere around her seemed to darken and intensify and Ivy was now uncomfortable again. Rearing on them with a wicked gleam in her eyes the tailor exclaimed. "_I've got it, got it, __**got iiiiit!**_ THE SPRING OF MY IMAGINATION IS OVERFLOWING!" With this a vision of her unrealized masterpiece came pouring out. Ivy could hardly be bothered to understand it all word for word but had a fairly good idea what she was going for.

"The Easter ensemble for the Earl will be a tailcoat and half-pants suit, with black as the base and a winter image. The flower near the neck will have a daffodil calling out to spring. Accents will be golden braid and decorative buttons." She finally took a breath. "The lady will have a gold dress of silk shantung, it will look more mature with the black ribbons and tassels. The couple's dress hats will be decorated with plenty of daffodils and ribbons." Here Lizzy was unable to contain herself and exclaimed excitedly.

"Kyaa! That's beautiful!" Undaunted and in a fervor Nina continued.

"Ahhhh, but it's hard to ignore the spring-like chiffon' organdie! The dress shirt should be decorated with bishop sleeves and the lining of the jacket should of course be silk gold! No matter what concept! THE TWO OF YOU ARE GREAT!" With this she whipped about to face Sebastian. "YOU!" Her hand stiffly pointed in the butler's direction and Ivy impulsively pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. "Give me a pen and paper!"

"Of course." Sebastian Michaelis always seemed to have anything you asked him for on hand the moment you needed it. Ivy was still absolutely adamant that his pockets were portals to various storage rooms filled with first aid kits, handkerchiefs, kitchen utensils, cat chow, pitchforks, and office supplies. The renowned seamstress snatched what she needed and proceeded to work diligently, ranting and raving half to her clients and half to herself. Mostly to herself.

"For summer's daily wear, of course I'll have to go with today's trend: sailor colored ribbons and pants. There is infinite coordination possible. If it has drapes or pleats in the back that would be cute. For business scenes, the gentlemanly double buttons, a three-piece suit would be good too! As for the ribbon around your neck, black is richer, but I think the occasionally red velvet would be good too-"

"Just a moment." The tailor tensed and coiled like a frozen beast ready to strike at her least favorite person's interruption. Ivy instantly groaned and massaged her temples. "Wouldn't red be a little bit gaudy on the young master? The young master doesn't really suit red or yellow, so I think some calmer colors would be more appropriate. He is small enough as it is, so these colors might make him seem childlike." When he said this, Ivy looked at him and frowned a bit but bit her bottom lip, thinking it best not to voice her opinion just yet. Nina Hopkins however had no such scruples.

"_…And what exactly would be so bad about that? _I have no finer interest than in boys and girls under fifteen."

"I have no interest in what you do in your spare time. The young master is the head of the Phantomhive household. Rather than considering fashion trends you should be focusing more on tradition and grace." TRADITION! And there he goes again. Typical Sebastian assholeyness. "In any case I can not agree with a red tie."

"Now-now wait a moment Sebastian. I agree with you about the yellow not sitting right with Ciel but to worry about a nice tastefully dark shade of red making him appear more childish is a bit far fetched when I've seen him wearing baby blue ribbons before. The color screams baby shower to be honest." Ciel did not appreciate this conversation in the slightest. "And yes a whole lot of it would look tacky but it's only a small splash of it we're talking about, besides he _is _a child and no amount of darkness is going to change that. Why should he be ashamed that he is capable of running a household and business at the mere age of thirteen?"

"Now that is what I like to hear! A forward thinking little miss!" Nina pounced on Ivy with an embrace. She stiffened and could see that laughter burning behind the butler's eyes. "It's refreshing to encounter _someone _with taste around here. This is why I don't like Mister Stiff. Have you ever heard the saying you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs?" She narrowed her eyes darkly at the stiff servant. The neko wished she could sew her own lips shut. Well at least she wasn't groping her. "I can't stand having to listen to the whining of an amateur!" She was upon him in an instant, and it seemed she was banishing everyone from the room. "Can you please go waste some time elsewhere until the fitting? Go! Go!" Thank. God. She slammed the door behind them and Ivy let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. There was an awkward silence before Sebastian whipped out his trusty pocket watch.

"Oh well… it _is _a bit early, but why don't you have afternoon tea?" Oh please, he said that as if he didn't thrill at the idea of being ahead of schedule. The neko rolled her eyes.

"Good idea, Sebastian!" Elizabeth cheerfully agreed, and so it was settled.

….

"Tell me something, little one…" That damn ass monkey in a suit never took a break did he?

"Something." Ivy uttered in a dry disinterested tone. Preparing the snack trays seemed a strangely fascinating task today. He scoffed. Really she should have expected him to say something, since kitchen duty was silent and tedious. Besides, he never remained silent if he had her to himself. The assorted snacks were colorful and enticing but she was pretty sure Sebastian would take a wooden spoon to her knuckles if she picked from the trays this time. Suddenly she froze when she felt appreciative hands resting on the curves of her hips before she was hoisted around to sit on the counter. Green eyes blinked in astonishment and her mouth was open but she made no sound.

"What. The. _HELL. _–YOU-EEP!" She only barely managed to bring her knees up between them. He chuckled.

"I've told you about our chocolate supply. We are missing at least three bars and an entire brick. I can only assume it was you, am I right?" Ivy could have curb stomped herself right then.

"You **owed **me for all this stupid house sitting bullshit!" She yelped indignantly. "You are a very greedy little girl. What am I to do with you?" The dark butler made a show of pondering the question.

"What's _wrong_ with you all of the sudden!?" Ivy screeched pushing at him with her hands on his shoulders. Gloved hands planted themselves firmly on either side of her and she leaned away, pivoting her body to face another direction. Sebastian did not seem to care however, as long as she looked him in the eye. And what a fierce gaze they gave, with a glare like hot steel just for him.

"Miss Ivy, I think you know that I'd like to hear what you have to say regarding my previous question. You've still been avoiding me." Instantly the gears in Ivy's head began to spin. Buy time, Ivy. Buy time. It really was a shame that there were no telephones near by. She girded every ounce of craftiness in her body to oil her mind's progress. If all went well, then great, but if not there was always Plan B: also known as biting off her tongue so she could no longer speak. For now she just shrugged.

"Don't I always? Come on you have a manor to repair-"

"You wont tell me?" His eyes gleamed as he caught the whiff of a silent challenge. 'Click! Got it!' She no longer felt the need to mutilate her mouth.

"Are _you_ going to finally tell me why you refuse to feed yourself?" Slender arms folded and she kept her face stern. He blinked. "We did come to an understanding haven't we? Information for information, a rather efficient bartering system I must say." She perked.

"You really _are_ cunning and opportunistic." He backed down, as was her intention in the first place. Still there was a part of Ivy that felt a pang of indignation that he still refused to tell her about this particular compulsion of his. Ivy hated missing a piece of information to something she was trying to understand. And for a long time, since she decided not to be afraid of him, she had been trying to understand him.

"Very well, then I don't see why I should feel obligated to tell you anything. Suffer in silence, Mister Michaelis." The neko responded decisively and folded her arms. Hopping down from her perch on the counter, she frowned at the tall demon that still watched her intently.

"Perhaps not. Logically no, but… what if I decided to _make _you tell me anyway?" He spoke merely to entertain the notion, Ivy was sure of it.

"A tempting prospect for you I'm sure and I do not put it past you, but I know you wouldn't. At least not in this particular case." Ivy praised her time with her mother and practiced patience with children for allowing her to keep a cool head right now. Her face betrayed nothing. Sebastian on the other hand grinned, obviously very pleased and not feeling the need to hide it.

"Oh?"

"If you are given the option of convincing me to do something you very much prefer it. Not because of any moral standards but simply because you have the tendency to prefer to do things the hard way. You prefer the slow process of effort and anticipation. And so I leave you with my ultimatum…unless of course you can tell me any alternate bit of information that I would find just as engaging to mull over."

"You know this and are still puzzled as to how I manage my contracts?" He stroked her ears and she winced.

"Mister Michaelis… most of your kind prefer gratification the instant they crave something, by any means necessary. This makes you even more of an anomaly… or in my favorite terminology: a freak of nature."

"A reward without effort can hardly be called a reward in the first place."

"Very true but you're still a big freak. I mean… don't you think it's extreme?" Slender fingers clasped one another awkwardly. "I can feel it you know, how hungry you are…. you are in a lot of pain often times, and sometimes you get so tired working a silly manor. I just…" Unthinkingly she reached out her hand to get a look at his eyes again, briefly pushing down his lower eyelid. "I can feel it _all _Sebastian…_why_ are you tormenting yourself? _Why_ do you prefer starvation even now while you could've taken a soul already and ended it?" She started when his ageless eyes lit up, calculating and searching. He touched her… mimicking her actions…he had touched her and she hadn't felt the need to shrink before him. Interesting.

"Ah. Concerned, Miss Ivy?" He grinned. She glared and pushed his hand away.

"If your fat, inflated, idiot head hasn't already noticed, I've been studying you."

"Mmm?" Once again the maid had to smack his hand away from her ears.

"I already told you. The more you know about something the less fearsome it will seem. Chance favors the prepared mind. Knowledge is power. All that spiel, you know? I hate incomplete puzzles… now that I've started to learn about you… I feel that I _have _to finish for the sake of my own sanity." Now she paused. "But…I also do worry that if you're weakened from starvation, my clan might stand a chance against you." The neko was only slightly insulted when he gave that look that she had come to recognize as his way of saying 'fat chance'.

"Yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking, and you're right. Our kind could never be as powerful as you but… they have methods, weapons, and group tactics employed especially for your sort. They aren't defenseless creatures and I _can't _go back there, Sebastian, I'd be better off _**dead**_." If he was even listening to her anymore she didn't know, but he was making her very uncomfortable. "Stop looking at me like that! God you are so incredibly creepy I don't even know-…_wow! _Just _wow!_" Ivy stomped away from him and hugged herself. He was beside her instantly with a grip on her shoulder.

"Silly girl. Take these to the young master. I will take the rest with the tea." He handed her a three-tier silver dessert tray. When had he finished all that? Hesitantly, Ivy took it from him, still wary. "Now no pinching from the trays." He warned.

"Aye, aye Captain Crazy. Whatever you say." Her voice came out slowly and cautiously as she slinked away from him, ears drooping back against her head adorably. Now Ivy had never been particularly fond of people touching her hair, especially since she had to hide her ears …but it seemed so routine for the butler to run his fingers through loose strands and stroke free tresses whenever he could. So Ivy barely noticed as he caught her ponytail, allowing it to slip from his grasp as she walked off. That is until she was out in the hall and she blinked and thought about it. "Wait a minute…he- ugh. I should really just start wearing a hairnet… a spikey barbed wire hair net… made from molten metal that was cooled in holy water by some overzealous exorcist." She grumbled to herself.

…..

"WROOONG!" Nina out right bellowed, not caring who she startled in the process. Frustrated hands tore the frilly shirt she'd thrown together from Ciel's body in one swipe. Ivy full on gaped at the sort of behavior this woman got away with towards the Earl of Phantomhive. Lizzy shrieked and blushed covering her eyes and the boy look beyond mortified at this point, frozen in shock. Ivy remained utterly soundless as he eyes took in the angry red sight glaring at her from among pale skin. It was a round circular scar, not there through any ordinary means obviously. The neko knew immediately what it must be, and out of respect she averted her eyes. Still what was seen was seen and the symbol of the brand was permanently etched into her mind. "Wrong! It's wrong! I didn't want such an ordinary silhouette!"

Before Ciel could find it in him to snap at the thoughtless woman, he instantly seemed to remember the brand. His hand shot back and covered it up under his palm. Fortunately nobody seemed the wiser.

"Ciel?... What's wrong?" Well Ivy had been wrong before. Lizzy had noticed after all, being hypersensitive towards her fiancée. The boy sweat dropped nervously and responded half-heartedly to the question.

"Ah…it's nothing… I just got caught on one of the marking pins…"

"Pins! Oh that's bad! If we don't treat it, it could-!"

"No. There's no blood, I'm okay." Oh the weak bullshitting, Ivy was nervous at how weak Ciel's arguments were.

"Can you hand me that shirt? I'm cold." This was probably a reach to get out of a tight spot, or maybe his fiancée simply made him nervous. But even an idiot knew that it didn't take a genius to know that he should have asked either Ivy or Sebastian to give his shirt to him. The blonde little girl was not the least bit ruffled, reaching for the article he was referring to.

"Okay! To take care of the husband is the wife's job, you know." Her smile was brilliant and sweet as she held the shirt open for him. "Well, come here!" She urged happily. "Put in your arms." The neko maid shook her head at him and folded her arms, not willing to witness this. Even if the look on her employer's face was beyond priceless.

"Allow me." And smoother than a thousand baby bottoms Sebastian interjected. Demon butler to the rescue. "If I allow you to act as a servant, I would receive quite the scolding from the Marchioness." He explained it so casually and evenly that his worse enemy would have probably believed him. Yeah but Ivy was not his worst enemy and rolled her eyes at his slimey butlery…ness. Fake. _Fake. __**Faaaaaake!**_ Lady Elizabeth blinked innocently up at him and allowed him to take over. It seemed that the trouble was done for.

"THAT'S IT!" Nina exclaimed making everybody except Lizzy inwardly groan. "It would be better if you had a sharper, tighter silhouette." The four eyed crazy lady had made up her mind it seemed, and was brandishing her measuring tape in an almost threateningly determined manner. "With that in mind, Earl… please allow me to take nude measurements." Okay trouble so not over. Ivy was officially moved to pity now. Once again Ciel was sputtering for words like a…well…_thirteen-year-old. _It was the most unnatural thing the maid had ever seen.

"To bring out your silhouette I want full-body measurements." She advanced on him and tried to move his arms up.

"W-WAIT-!"

"Earl! Your hand is in the way, I can't take your chest measurements!" It was amazing how such a small boy struggled so effectively against the crazed seamstress. "Stick out your arms!" Okay there was no way Ivy was interfering with this now, in fact it was a shame she couldn't take photos. Eventually Nina's strength prevailed and Ciel arms were suspended apart with a loud shout of victory…only for Sebastian's hand to replace it. There was a pregnant silence.

"…What are you doing?" Nina asked in a deceptively calm voice.

"What indeed."

_**Two **_utter morons. The walrus and the carpenter. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumbass. The little halfbreed could go on with all the thoughts in her head but watching them for once was waaaay more entertaining. Ciel spoke up again.

"Well….actually, you see, I hurt my leg and it's painful without support." Sebastian himself was ashamed of the boy's statement and Ivy face palmed, choking on a giggle. Lizzy stood by confused with her brow furrowed as if trying to make sense of this whole thing. Nina was completely unmoved.

"What? It's interrupting my measurements! If you want support_, I_ can do it." She protested, attempting to shoulder the tall butler aside. The young boy's protests went unheeded.

"Sebastian! Do no remove your hand under any circumstance!" Ivy was snorting and turning red at this point.

"Yes, My Lord." The faithful butler complied, maneuvering under Ciel's arm to stand in front of him. Out of the fuming tailor's path. "Well, go ahead." Ivy clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening as she looked up at the ceiling. 'Oh thank you comedy Gods, thank you for this beautiful gift that you have bestowed on us lowly beings. I am eternally thankful to have witnessed this.' She thought to herself at their ridiculous positions. The chaos continued and still Elizabeth watched intently, and Ivy was certain that she knew something was wrong or she wouldn't be staring at a 'man's' bare chest for so long. It was considered scandalous and unladylike for such a thing to be done.

"Put your hand in the gap of his body!"

"What the hell is this!?"

"Honestly the both of you." Ivy was unable to keep from voicing some level of annoyance at all the ridiculousness going on in the room.

"Lizzy!" The center of the Phantomhive sandwich that had been created finally spoke up. "Even though you're my fiancée, having you stare at my bare body for so long is… well…erm…embarrassing." Ivy let out a breath. FINALLY! WELCOME BACK MY FAVORITE LITTLE HOB GOBLIN TO THE LAND OF THE THINKERS! The young lady reacted instantly as if realizing her mistake.

"I-I'm sorry!" she stuttered rather adorably and Ivy smiled. Well fortunately the rest of Nina Hopkins' visit was without incident. She left and Sebastian thanked her for her hard work.

"A leg injury, young master?" Ivy finally spoke her mind in a skeptical sort of are-you-fucking-serious? Kind of tone. Keeping quiet had been killing her.

"Shut _**up**_, Ivy." The boy growled quietly. Lizzy had not once moved from her spot facing the sliding cover. Why hadn't they decided to just do the measurements back there? Sebastian found the little girl's reaction to be rather amusing as he watched her standing there stiff as a board.

"I'll get your shirt immediately." He informed. Ciel just sat down with a tired puff of breath. Finally, the madness had ceased. Ivy allowed herself to relax.

**-BANG!-**

"HEY, CIEL!"

She had spoken all too soon.

"Why did you just sneak off to the main-house? I was left alone to wait for Agni-" Before anyone could think to act, Sebastian Michaelis delivered like a boss. As he always did. He flung the nearby drapery over Ciel's exposed form and had him dressed within an instant. "What the…?" Soma was at a loss for words at the speed in which Ciel's butler had managed to work. "Changed already?"

"AGNI!" Ivy cheered delightedly springing toward the tanned servant; he was carrying a rather large pot like container so she didn't hug him. Instead she hopped with her hands on his shoulder to kiss his cheek and suddenly the aura room seemed to squeeze abruptly like the tightening of an invisible fist. Of course nobody noticed but her and she frowned, looking about herself suspiciously. Agni simply laughed and greeted her warmly. She became distracted by the smell from the pot and her ears perked up. "What's that?"

"Some of the curry I prepared upon the Prince's request."

"Oooh! Maybe I'll steal some later." Her cheeks flushed happily. "I'm so happy to see you. I've been meaning to speak to you and the Prince about something."

"Really? Wha- Oh hello, Sebastian sir!" Agni greeted the other servant with a nod as he approached. His shadow hovered over the pair. Ivy's mouth suddenly went parched and she stiffened as a large hand rested against the curve of her lower back. Warm and eloquent. He smiled at Agni in such a disarming manner and nodded back, all the while his fingers curled up to hook themselves beneath her apron ties. Almost like being tugged backwards.

"Hello Mister Agni? Did you have a pleasant trip?"

"Oh yes. I can't see a reason to complain of the English countryside. It is actually very crisp. Pardon the sudden visit, the prince in his concern insisted on seeing Ciel sir immediately." Ivy could by no means pay attention to the conversation, as she moistened her lips and swallowed hard. She squirmed and the dark being tugged her closer.

"Ah I can certainly understand. The young master is rather reckless with his health."

"But I am certain he is in good hands with you here to guide him."

The neko girl reached around in frustration to free herself, and Sebastian gripped her hand instead entwining her fingers with his. Making her huff and finally dare to glare up at him accusingly.

"I'm unworthy of such a compliment." He was so damn good at this utter bullshit of his and everyone where ever she turned just kept eating it all up. Sebastian? Modest? The world would throw itself out of orbit and do the cha cha before that happened. There was pandemonium as Soma proceeded to talk to Elizabeth. "Well… If you don't mind, I must steal Miss Ivy away." He ushered the slumping maid around him.

"Not at all. You must be busy."

She could hear Soma proclaiming the Earl's fiancée to be his little sister but could take no joy in his delusional behavior at this moment in time. Ciel shouted his disapproval of such liberties but it was obvious he didn't mind having Soma around, to tolerate it as he did. Then for a brief shining moment Sebastian released her.

"Lets go to the dining hall immediately!" Both the Indian and Lazy Elizabeth cheered ecstatically. Ciel was down right exasperated by this turn of events. There was no rest for the weary.

"Wait." He told them. "The dining hall is still damaged."

"Please, relax. Dinner preparations have already been made." And again Sebastian swoops in to save the day…well erm…evening. For everybody except Ivy that is. "It cost an arm and a leg but… it is perfect as always."

….

"No Sebastian! I-I can't do this." Ivy covered her face in utter frustration and embarrassment. The candlelight was dim in the empty Phantomhive library where Sebastian was giving the neko a few notes on what sort of behavior to emulate in order to be a convincing Lady at the opera. The butler sighed for the fifth time at her words. It looked to Ivy as though all the shadows of the room bounced and flickered about with the candles. The smooth wooden surface where she sat was suddenly very entertaining to stare at tonight. She refused to look up at him and buried her face in her arms across the study desk she sat at.

"How many times have you said that tonight?" He inquired.

"I dunno…" Her voice was muffled and slightly incoherent.

"More than five."

"Mmhmm." She groaned back miserably, nodding her head and still not leaving her chosen posture.

"Has that helped your attitude about this?"

"Mno.." Her head shook.

"Has it improved your performance even remotely?"

"It's not supposed to." She grumbled out from under her elbow. He grinned.

"Better, but not quite the spirit I was hoping for. Most importantly, Miss Ivy; at any point during your many declarations of incapability, did it seem like I was going to budge on this matter?" God he was annoying when he patronized her.

"Sebas-"

"Well?"

"No. Happy asshole?"

"I'll be happier once you get it together. Come now, it isn't that difficult."

"You want me to be something I'm not."

"Not at all. I want you to _act _like something you're not." He corrected crisply. "Come now, don't behave as though you've never done it before. Not according to what I saw when we first met you." Green eyes narrowed at him from under her arms.

"I can't look down my nose at people."

"Surely not. You'd be much too small to accomplish it." A large paperweight, hand selected from the neat bounty atop the desk, nearly decapitated him. "Ah, now _that _is the spirit I was looking for." Ivy stood to her full height indignantly. The chair she sat on creaked in protest at her rough behavior.

"I'm tall enough for a woman! In fact I'm only a head shorter than you because you're so damn huge!" Her finger jabbed his chest accusingly. "Not as tall as Agni to be fair… but _he _doesn't flaunt his height against small neko girls."

"We are digressing from the topic at hand, little one. You have to be able to respond to any question that might be asked. You're alias needs a back story, a persona, witnesses, and it all must be consistent with each other." He spoke authoritatively and Ivy for a moment wondered if he genuinely fancied her to be a ward of some kind to him. The sudden thought was disheartening; to be lectured and bossed around like a child did not suit her. When all she did was glare uncooperatively up at him he raised an eyebrow. "Do you want 'those people' to come find you or not?" The question came out with a ring of unmoving finality. Her resolved waned.

"…Yes."

"Then in order to get this role correct you must become Lady Ivy Durless. Talented and obscure… a girl of questionable thought. Sweet, but evasive and reclusive after shunning her marriage prospects for a musical career." He reviewed. All of these qualities would be convenient for when she danced around people's questions and avoided attention. Ivy groaned. "Naturally this was unacceptable to her family and so she was disowned by her general relations. Only up until recently, upon meeting with a kinsman from the side of her late Uncle –by marriage- has she returned into the public. Are you memorizing this?" The girl did not seem to be particularly keen on this lecture. Ivy hated to be talked at.

"Yeah, yeah. Please end my suffering, Mister Michaelis."

Unsatisfied the demon clasped his hands behind his back and pushed out his chest, raising his chin sternly. Large eyes regarded him with a gleam of sweet innocence that wasn't fooling anybody in this room. "I swear I heard you!" She protested his skepticism.

"Well then, hold a conversation with me, Miss Durless."

"Lady Durless." She corrected. "And very well sir. I will gladly oblige." One definite way to motivate this girl was to challenge her.

"You are most gracious, My Lady. How rude of me to diminish the title of such a lovely creature." He lifted her hand to his lips. Ah so Ivy understood now, he was approaching her as he would a target of Ciel's plots. She could work with this.

"Such unnecessary flattery, what a rakish reputation you must have among the English beauties." She remained unruffled and allowed him to linger against her knuckles. Being who she was meant she'd have had to been accustomed to such gentlemen.

"Not rakish enough if I can never recall seeing_ you_ before. Why hasn't there been a single soul who has been acquainted with you until now?" He inquired as she retrieved her hand.

"When my family disowned me for my choice to remain unmarried I needed _some _way to continue studying music. I sought the help of my tutor who directed me to Paris for all these years. I spent my time there studying with his old instructor and the instructor's wife."

"Oh, I see, you must be quite the adventuress to dare such a feat. I could have sword all under the name of Durless attended the funeral of the late Madame Angelina Durless."

"Aunt Ann. That is how I came across my distant cousin you see. Living all the way in Paris and being estranged from my family, nobody bothered informing me that she had passed. Such a horrid death and to think I had to hear about it in the papers under the White Chapel murder articles, long after the funeral." Ivy placed a hand theatrically over her heart and gave a shudder. "I had to read her name at least five times to accept that it was truly her. I then visited London to pay my respects to anybody remaining who may have been close to her. It was there I ran into Ciel Phantomhive he was the son of her brother-in-law, Aunt Rachel's husband. A remarkable boy really. We easily fell into discussion and he agreed to be my sponsor in order for me to return to England." Her eyes had a far off look in them. She was completely unhesitant and unruffled with her part, answering quickly and assertively.

"Mm, quite a journey indeed, and all this to avoid marriage? Surely it couldn't be so dreadful as to interfere with a soprano's career…"

"Ha ha! As expected of a man, you haven't experienced the sort of cage marriage in Victoria's England creates for the wife in the household. All of this silly obey and reverence the husband is taken to such an inane extreme. Is there a respectable gentleman of English society who would not be fed up with the lifestyle of a Lady of the stage?" Her mannerisms were fluid and lady like but she spoke like any other feminist. "Would he stand by and smile as patron after patron shower her with gifts and adoration? I think not." She shook her head primly maintaining a warm ethereal sort of smile. "No. I shall have no man anchor me where he chooses whether due to a need of propriety or childish insecurity. We do what we must to achieve what we dream. Lord are you as ready for another champagne flute as I?" Ah, and she had even directed the conversation elsewhere. Sebastian's lips pulled into a grin.

"You seem to have the hang of it." Just as Ivy allowed herself to relax he pulled out a handful of sheet music. The crackle of paper almost sounded menacing to her ears. She looked away and groaned. "Shall we?"

….

The eyes of a fox are calculative and keen. They are the eyes of both the hunter and the hunted. They are the eyes of one who lives on their wit. Our now serious tracker had no time to concern himself with the hustle and bustle of humans, intent on diverting themselves with the latest musical performance on display at the Covent Garden Opera House. Royalty and their soirees. Yet and still it seemed that today was an opera kind of day, or at least enough to inspire him to look over a flyer.

"Debussy, eh?" He smiled to himself. Humans never particularly could do music any true justice, but they did create beautiful compositions. Their ears did not hear pitch as perfectly as non-humans did. "The Blessed Damsel." The sprite had no time to watch an entire performance. It was likely only playing to give some upstart the opportunity to rise into public demand anyway. What he needed was to be vigilant, who knows how much time Cavin would be able to stall for him to find an opening. He was hot on a trail why should he stop now? Harsh amber eyes surveyed the print and softened as if suddenly struck by lightning.

"Im…possible…" He breathed.

…..

"You look lovely." Sebastian murmured as he fell into step beside Ivy. She was too preoccupied folding her arms over the low cut bust line of her dress to anything but sigh deeply and roll her eyes at the remark. She had picked this one out, knowing that she would have a costume to be fitted into once she got to Covent Garden. Yet and still she was more uncomfortable walking around in it than she thought she would be.

"Nina is full of bullshit. She said that she would fix the bust line. She barely added even half an inch. The pervert." The neko grumbled irately, unfurling her fan, she covered up the view of her cleavage. The demon butler chuckled at her behavior. The tailor had added more fabric to the bust line, but Miss Ivy was just so very bashful. He supposed that perhaps she had never shown off any amount of her breasts. She made tormenting her so easy.

"Is that so?" He raised an elegant eyebrow at the statement. "Let me see." The butler pulled her closer to him by the shoulders. Dark eyes lowered to the level of her chest appraisingly and it seemed as though the neko girl had suddenly been morphed into a wooden board by the way she stiffened in complete shock. "Mm. I see nothing to complain about." She was snapped out of her immobile state and the reaction was instantaneous. Anything else he might have been prepared for, but he certainly hadn't expected that she would poke him in the eye with that fan of hers. Ivy was released.

"STOP THAT! YOU'RE NOT ANY BETTER THAN HER, YOU PIG! IF YOU ARE THAT DESPERATE TO OGLE LADY PARTS, I'M SURE IT WOULDN'T TAKE MORE THAN A MINUTE FOR YOU TO REACH THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT!" Fumbling with the many layers of her dress, she lifted her skirts just enough to storm away at an admirable speed. "Take me to the damn opera house." Quickly, it what was practically a rush of air, he was standing at the door.

"As you wish, my lady. The young master is ready and waiting, we had best make haste. You know how impatient children are." The front doors were pushed open curtly, but the butler turned to look at her her with a warm stare of mischief and offered a single gloved hand. Her own gloved arms remained cautiously folded, one hand still fisting her fan by its handle. Green eyes hesitantly eyed the offered appendage. Her free hand released itself from its defensive position and uncertainly fiddled with a curled strand of hair. He had offered her his hand before, several times, but this time it felt different. The butler nudged his hand out further and Ivy slowly reached out for only a moment before drawing back.

"I don't think you should touch me like…well… familiarly, if anybody were to see…" She trailed, and the hand vanished. The moment was gone, like being doused with icy water. He grinned and gave a bow, indicating that she exit ahead of him.

"Ah! The horses are prepared! Good luck today!" Agni informed cheerfully as they appeared outside. His sleeves were still rolled up from the diligent labor he'd just finished.

"Thank you, Agni. Your hard work is appreciated." Sebastian told him politely as he passed, opening the door for Ivy. She chewed her lip anxiously and without even thinking caught Agni's hand before he could pass. The demon, but a pace behind her on the left… stiffed and then blinked.

"Agni…I still have to talk to you about something important…remind me when I get back." At her serious tone, the tall Indian appeared concerned.

"Of course, whatever you wish." He nodded reassuringly. She nodded back and upon turning back to Sebastian, gave a start at the rigidness of his tall limber stature. His eyes, rusty and bloodlike, were trained appraisingly upon Agni as if trying to see straight through him. At her sudden jerk, they sharply fell upon her and she felt like she should shrink away from their intensity, but he only offered his hand to help her enter the coach, where Ciel scowled impatiently. Was he angry? She pondered this as she took his hand and stepped into the transport. Not riding with Sebastian felt weird.

"Stop slouching and keep your chin straight." He scolded and when she looked at him he was smirking normally once again. "You are a Lady after all." Okay… there was no way she was imagining things right? All she did was groan and hide her face behind the fan she still clutched. Looking at Ciel, she he was scowling at her, likely blaming her for their lateness.

"Wipe that look off your face, little man. If I were you I'd be more worried about my allergies than what time it is."

Ciel's eyes widened and he huffed, straightening his posture proudly. "I don't need your mothering. I'm aware of the situation." Ivy could only giggle at his words. She had to admit it, the little bastard could be kind of cute when he tried to act more grown up than he was.

….

"Shin…are you sure?"

"Yes…_oh yes_."

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter was not descriptive enough for my tastes but it's fine I guess. Ah, and here we have the beginnings of jealous Sebby forming along the horizon. As I said, at the moment he has no particular reason to feel threatened, oh but he'll get one. Sorry it took so long, I genuinely did not think that it would. Ugh! Waiting for the next manga update! Any feedback? I'd love to hear from you guys, it's always so much fun xD. My own plot is going to be moving forward finally. I look forward to my next update as much as you guys do lol. Anyway Ciao!


	35. That Maid, Thespian

Author's Note: Starting on this immediately after uploading my latest chapter in hopes to get this one out quicker. Heard Sebastian singing last night… I'd like to know why whatever he's talking about, he always sounds like he's going to rape someone? On a more related note I have not much to say other than that if you'd like to see the Covent Garden Opera House, look for pics, it is AMAZING, I even saw the place where the curry contest was supposed to have taken place :3. Kudos to Yana for not making up fake locations for her story btw. That makes it more interesting for me. Teehee I even found the blue prints for the Phantomhive Manor so that is going to be really helpful. Okay then buh bye, meet you guys at the bottom! WEEEEEEE! ***Bungee jumps from top of page***

Disclaimer: ***revolver being held at my skull*** Okay so this is getting really, _really _boring and tiring but yes I don't own Kuro, yes I _do _own Ivy (regardless of Sebastian's opinion), and no I'm not going to take credit for what is so obviously not mine.

**Chapter Thirty-Five: That Maid, Thespian**

"_My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me." _–Winston Churchill

"Young master… it seems we have an unexpected audience. Her Majesty the Queen is here to watch the performance." Sebastian's voice was unreadable, but there was a measure of something stern in his expression. At his words the boy instantly stiffened in his seat. The box he had, had been reserved ahead of time and he had a good view of the stage and most seats in the house. Including the royal box. He instantly looked back to the stage with apprehension muttering through gritted teeth.

"She better not freeze over this unexpected development." The boy's blue gaze eyed the stage with determined intensity. Why the hell did the Queen have to come here? "Her Majesty has eyes and ears all around and it was no secret that I of all people would be promoting a new soprano, I take no interest in such things so she must have taken it upon herself to take an appraisal of her watchdog's latest associate…" He trailed and looked in her direction again. Accidentally his gaze locked with the gaze of the last person in the royal entourage he wanted to make eye contact with right now.

Earl Charles Grey. Damn it! She had to bring _him _too? The Queen's sharp-faced mischievous and utterly obnoxious fiend of a butler gave him a haughty look. They had never liked each other, not since they had first laid eyes on each other, back when Grey himself was still a child. It was hate at first sight. Come to think of it…how old was that wretch now? He hadn't given it much thought before.

"Indeed, Her Royal Highness concerns herself very keenly in the affairs of her dear 'cute little boy'." Ugh, Sebastian's teasing was always purposely timed for the worst moments possible. The orchestra's melody filled the air, diverting Ciel's attention back to the stage. They had Ivy situated on platform slightly higher than the rest of stage, possibly placed there especially for this short performance. Of course the dress they had her wear was white but the details couldn't be made out completely nor did he care to know. He then looked to his butler and noted that he hadn't been looking at him during their conversation. Instead he watched her with a certain smug sort of confidence…could it perhaps be pride he was witnessing in his servant's eyes? Gazing back at the royal box, he was pleased that Charles Grey was preoccupied searching for Her Majesty's opera glasses. He looked rather annoyed and ruffled. Ha.

Now that the queen was here however…the boy's smug confidence was gone and he was suddenly somewhat apprehensive about the attentive curiosity with which she watched Ivy through the lenses. He frowned at nothing in particular. What could she possibly be hoping to see?

"Do I sense worry, young master?" Sebastian inquired, still not looking at Ciel.

"Are your skills as a teacher so faulty that you think I should be worried?" The boy cleverly shot right back. The demon smirked, reminded as to why he chose his particular master.

….

This was not Ivy's first visit to the extravagant Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. She had come here once to audition, an unknown face in a crowd of prestigious nobility and rich businessmen. It had only been expected before that the gossipmongers would whisper about her upon her first arrival, considering the company in which she was seen. It had been an unorthodox way to be introduced into high society. Now that she had already been spoken of, the whispers only seemed to have intensified. Not that it mattered to her.

The wide-open barrage of cream, white, gold, and the red interiors of the boxes and seat cushions combined to create an ethereal glow. Everything looked so warm, but it felt cold to her for some reason. All of this time, she had not been the least bit nervous.

Until of course, she saw the royal box occupied. Aw, crap. What the hell was Queen Victoria doing at such a small event? Keeping tabs on Ciel's activity no doubt. Ivy supposed she could understand why the old monarch was curious. Since when did Ciel take the time to do something like this after all? Not to mention, she was no doubt expecting a proper report for the orphanage incidents she placed him in charge of investigating….if he hadn't given one. Ivy really had no idea about that boy's work ethic. Did he want the queen to know?

A deep-seated resentment bubbled in her gut at the fact that nobody said a word to her about this. Other than that she had not much of a reaction. Perhaps the shock of it had caused her to be too numb to process it completely. The neko refocused onto the orchestra not wanting to miss her cue. She recognized the tall, portly figure of the man directing the ensemble as one of the men she had auditioned in front of. Besides the Queen being there, everything seemed to be going normally. Yet there was something off. Like a presence that was not completely a presence. She frowned and wanted to look up, but there were far too many people milling about to be sure where it was coming from.

Demons can always tell when another creature is not human. But an Ashcroft could identify a presence down to specific species and even down to the individual as long as they had encountered them before. This was not human… a sprite? There was no time for her to ponder this further as her cue had already made itself known. 'Time to rock some worlds.' She thought sardonically as the first sweet notes of the aria were sung. She could look around afterwards.

"_Je…voudrais…qu'il fut de - ja pres de moi…"_

….

In the dark corner where he lurked in the rafters like a shadow, the kitsune sprite, who called himself Shin, leaned his head back against a beam. Closing his eyes, a satisfied sort of smile came over his features. Her voice was perfect just as he suspected; she was not human. No human reaches that level of perfect hearing. It was her; it was really, _really _her. A swell of elation seized his chest and he lurched forward to sit up and have a better look. His long sharp smile widened considerably and he almost let out a balk of laughter, breathing rapidly and excitedly. A presence next to him instantly sobered him however.

"I hope you have something good to show me, Shin." Cavin dangled his legs carelessly from his perch. "…Especially after the hell I went through to ditch that dick head."

"Shhhh!" The kitsune admonished harshly through clenched pointed teeth. A slender finger pointed to the dainty figure on the stage. Now Cavin's senses were no longer clouded by anxiety and he could feel her. Yes. It was she. The one and only, still the same yet matured from years of solitude and obvious aging. "So you were right. You didn't lie." His 'associate's' voice interrupted his observations.

"I'm insulted that you would accuse me of such a thing. You didn't think I was lying, otherwise you wouldn't have agreed to come along."

The sprite didn't answer him right away. He just continued to watch the stage soundlessly before looking at him. "Don't be so certain." Was all that he told him cryptically. For a long moment they both sat where they were just…watching. He spoke again.

"Cavin. I took exception to my solitary rule of existence when I followed you into this ordeal so again just this once, I'm going to follow you out of it when I ask:… '…What now?'" Shin looked over his shoulder at the neko. In response Cavin looked from the sight of his younger cousin back to the sprite beside him.

"Now… first things first, we have to get out of here before our trail leads Bercarius and the others here." He narrowed his eyes around the vague figures in the crowd suspiciously. "This whole place is tainted with the presence of something…_huge_. I don't like it, and I'd rather not come across it." They both bounded soundlessly from their spot above the stage to creep back out of here.

….

Ivy was unaccustomed to being showered with mass amounts of attention. Any sort of attention that was not from her mother was sparse, and always negative. She had come to regard it as a negative thing to receive attention and so she learned to avoid it. Over the years she had adopted a faux persona that was as plain and dull and uninteresting as watching an ugly shade of paint dry on a blank ordinary wall. Nobody would spare a second glance at a girl like that. The neko vowed to keep her head low and to never let anybody see otherwise.

Since then when somebody in a crowd or just anywhere called out to her for some reason or other, she would cringe and shrink. Not out of fear of them or what they might think of her, but that maybe she was not unremarkable enough to go unnoticed. Naturally standing in front of a mass group of people would unsettle her…and for a while it had. But now as she finished her song she felt too unspeakably relieved that it had ended without a single snag. And as the hush of the crowd broke into an astonished applause she could not help the warm rush of gratitude that all of her hard work had been appreciated by someone. Flowers were thrown and she looked into the orchestra to find the conductor misty eyed but she did not look up into the royal box. The attention of those occupying the boss would be perpetually unwelcome. Regaining some of herself back, she smiled and thanked the crowd profusely as would be expected of her.

Somewhere in one of the most extravagant boxes, she recognized the figure of the Viscount Druitt flailing like the foppish pervert he was. She was beyond happy that she could not hear him over the crowd. His mind must truly be a nasty sort of place, like the kind of place that would put a latrine to shame sort of nasty. Even now she felt her skin crawl thinking of the possibilities alone. It was time to get off of the stage now before he could even think about coming around to the back to 'congratulate' her. 'Shut up, Ivy. Before you think yourself sick.' She scolded herself internally, not wanting to throw up anytime soon.

Coming off stage proved to be more difficult than she thought as she disappeared behind the curtains. Unexpected admirers from among the costumers, and various other theater staff began to swarm her with their praise. Like any cat, Ivy didn't like all of this crowding and she began to get uneasy. She held back a shrill sound when a bouquet of flowers was unexpectedly pushed toward her. It was okay…just flowers. It had been awkward but she somehow managed to keep up with the endless chattering. Still all she wanted to do was scream at them and run off to hide, wringing the fan in her hands.

The small party was being joined by others who had seen the performance and she swore her stomach dropped and it became more difficult to breathe. The chaos grew until the fray parted for an imposing presence that made his way through.

"This way, my lady." A smooth calm sound cutting through the madness, Ivy instinctively reached for Sebastian's hand.

"Ah. Thank you, Sebastian." She didn't look directly at him, but allowed herself to be helped down the steps to where Ciel waited. The boy adjusted his gloves slightly and tapped his cane back to the ground; he must have been impatient. Well that was just fine; Ivy was not willing to stay much longer herself. "You make that face like it's _my _fault these people are completely insane." She raised an eyebrow at him. He grunted and she saw his eyes narrow when they were approached.

"Earl Phantomhive." A tall figure with a stern face greeted the thirteen-year-old. He was wearing a crisp white uniform that Ivy recalled seeing on the Queen's attendant during the curry festival. He was rather tall, perhaps around Sebastian's height with short light blond hair and a mole on the left side of his face below his bottom lip. One of her majesty's butlers no doubt. Ciel turned to regard him.

"Charles Phipps."

Said man took a respectful bow at the waist with a hand to his chest. "It is the express command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria that I deliver this to you." In his hand he held out a sealed envelope. The little earl curtly accepted the offering.

"Thank you, you may go." He waved him off, not one to waste his time on pleasantries. With another short bow, 'Charles Phipps' turned his head to glace at Ivy and gave her a quick nod of acknowledgement. She returned the gesture and he stiffly made his way off. Her attention fell onto the cream colored note.

"Should you open it now?" She spoke so sweetly in her curiosity that Ciel knew she was eager to be nosy. Honestly he never liked getting any of these; quite often nothing good came of them. Maybe he should have her experience that fact first hand? "Hey Ciel…?" She interrupted his train of thought. He looked at her and she was looking around anxiously. "While I was singing and when we first got here I felt something… there were people here that were not human besides Sebastian and I…I just…"

He turned his gaze to his butler, who was unusually sober, his wine like eyes seemingly taking everything in at once. "She is right." He spoke. "I felt we were being observed." The boy's face became even sourer than it usually was. That meant that on top of dealing with _this _letter…he would very likely have some unwanted company within the following week if not in a day. He may as well look over the contents of the envelop now for a better window in time to start his plans.

A black-gloved thumb slid under the opening and he routinely slid the letter from its snug confinement. He then handed the empty envelope to Sebastian how dutifully pocketed the item. Ivy stepped behind him to have a quick look at the neat script.

_Her Royal Majesty, Queen Victoria requests the presence of _

_Earl Ciel Phantomhive_

_And _

_Lady Ivy Durless_

_For her midnight ball on the m-.._

Ivy did not finish reading before she whipped around and frantically fanned herself. "No." She responded instantly, shaking her head repeatedly. "No, no, no, no, no-!" Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose as she chanted her mantra. Girls were impossible…even Ivy from time to time it seemed.

"Get a hold of yourself." He ordered calmly. The last thing they needed was to create a scene over this.

"She probably saw right through all this, who better to investigate noble bloodlines than the Queen's staff." The neko groaned unhappily. The boy grunted once again.

"An inkling she may have, but certainty she does not." The boy corrected. "Which is probably why she wants me to bring you to her ball. To gain just that. Certainty." He gave the butler beside him the joint invitation. Ivy looked back and forth between them silently. "Sebastian. I'm sure you know what to do now."

"Indeed, young master. Though it does not leave us with much time. We had best hurry back then." The tall demon responded, he seemed to still be observing their surroundings carefully.

"What do you mean it doesn't leave you much time?" Ivy demanded defensively. "When exactly is this party going to happen?"

"If you had kept reading you would have seen that it was tomorrow."

"WHAT THE-" Sebastian silenced her with a hand over her mouth as she continued her muffled ranting and raving. Her hands pushed at his arm, gripping his wrist.

"Miss Ivy… if you please." He scolded as several people started to look their way. Several frowned and Ivy quickly remedied the situation by quieting and down and slapping the butler across the face for taking liberties. At that point the upper class no longer paid the scenario any heed and everyone else quietly looked to his or her own business. 'Damn my hand hurts.' She lightly shook the appendage before laughing at Sebastian's expression.

"Sometimes being a Lady can actually be somewhat liberating." She murmured. "I'd apologize Sebastian but…. Yeah, I don't want to."

"Oh, it's perfectly fine, little one. You'll just have to compensate in another way _tonight._" At this statement Ivy's eye twitched and she choked on her own saliva. Ciel rolled his eyes in an extra dramatic fashion.

"You officially make everything that comes out of your mouth sound disturbing." Ivy hit him in the arm with her fan, barely restraining herself from outright stabbing him with it. They were in plain view with all of these people bustling about.

"I have no idea what you could possibly mean. I'm discussing your new lessons." Sebastian stated with the air of perfect innocence. The neko momentarily forgot her surroundings and felt as though she had just heard the rumble of an earthquake. Surely the marble dome ceiling would cave down on her head at any moment now. Then again that would probably be more merciful a fate than what she suspected was lying in wait for her. And she was going to hate herself for asking, she just knew it the way an old man knows his ass is getting indigestion if he eats that last wasabi roll, knowing damn well he's going to do it anyway.

"…_New _lessons?"

"Ah! LOVELY SONG BIRD! AT LAST WE MEET!" Both Ciel and Ivy now choked on their own saliva simultaneously and Sebastian deflated considerably. The neko really didn't want to turn around and see him but she knew that as inevitably as death approaches humanity, the Viscount was swiftly coming in their direction. Or rather, in_ Ivy's_ direction.

"_He can't see me._" Ciel gritted harshly. Ivy nearly boxed his ears.

"_See __**you**__? Fuck seeing you, it's bleeding __**me **__he's after!" _She responded in a similar tone, clutching the arms of boy and butler in each arm stiffly.

"That **hurts** you barbaric creature." Ciel jerked his arm from her hand's inhuman clutch. He adjusted his top hat and coat with righteous indignation. "Keep it together. Sebastian, ready the coach and get me out of sight."

Obviously it was too late for her to shoot off like a bat out of hell, so she would just have to muscle through the introduction without puking. Still when he just grabbed her hand without warning and planted a kiss above her knuckles, Ivy had to physically force herself not to screech in utter fury and horror. '_Oh God. My flesh. It burns. My flesh is burning under these gloves!' _

"Ah… Viscount Druitt…. How…erm…_unexpected_." Ivy knew she was slipping majorly, trying her best not to reach out with one hand and snap his neck for touching her like that. She could have easily done it too.

"Please, please…" He waved off the title. "Aleister will do. There is no need for titles between fellow lovers of the arts." The way his lavender irises appraised her did nothing to help her attempts at ebbing her indignation. Blonde hair fell into his face as he did so and he raked it back with a single gloved hand. The neko girl was utterly disgusted by all of the jealous looks being sent her way. She tried to hold her fan as strategically as possible, remembering what exactly she was wearing.

"I suppose titles are **generally** silly." She countered and the flirtatious blonde seemed taken aback by the statement. He quickly recovered however and put on his usual smile.

"Your reputation precedes you, Ivy Durless." His sigh was revolting and Ivy started to grind her teeth. "Ah! You must ask your companions to forgive me. I'm simply captivated by your youthful beauty."

_Insert inner eye roll here. _He kept talking and _touching _and Ivy could no longer hear what he was saying. Mint green eyes simply stared this man down…this puny human, the first one she ever seriously wanted to crush between her fingers and tread upon under her feet. "It is a rare thing to see someone so young have such unique ideas… then again I'd be loathe to ask a lady her age so upfront." From what Ivy could see he definitely was far more interested in learning her breast size than her age. "I may have a nephew around your age…" 'Somebody make him shut his grimy face before I punch his head into his shoulders!'

"A nephew my age? Oh my, is that difficult for you?"

Now he looked completely dumbfounded and Ivy relished in it before speaking. "You see, I shunned marriage as well, so I know how difficult society can be about such things and it can only be worse to not already have a son at _your age _never mind if you have a sibling who has already had one for at least seventeen years." Blinking in shock at the subtle jab. Being called old, he placed a hand over his heart like he had been impaled. Ivy hated dramatics in a man. There was nothing about this man that she liked. "Pressure to produce an heir is very tough on gentlemen. Please keep up your spirits. We are technically in the same boat it seems, Viscount…erm… I'm terribly sorry…Viscount…?"

Now at the new information that the lovely creature could not recall his name he looked utterly pale. At his lack of response…Ivy held back the wicked grin that was pulling at the corners of her mouth. "…Well… this was a pleasant chat, but I must find my dear cousin now. I'd hate to keep him waiting. Perhaps I'll see you another time, Viscount... Drutti." He was far too stunned to do anything in her wake…except faint. His reputation must have been falling to ruin!

…_._

"I _**hate **_that creepy, nosy, controlling, old _**bat.**_" Ivy continued to glare down at the invitation in her hands. She was sitting on the edge of her bed with the kittens in her lap. They had grown fairly well so far and Ivy had become particularly fond of the gray little runt. Soon she would have to sneak the family of cats back out onto the grounds and the thought somewhat saddened her but the problem at hand was not the impending departure of her furry friends.

"That is the tenth time I've heard you say that within the past hour." Sebastian remained seated, with the mother of the litter still in his arms. "The young master wouldn't approve." His tone was teasing but he was far too enthralled by the feline creature in his current possession to really torment anybody. So Ivy was not alarmed. She just continued to frown with a huff. Tinsel, which is what Ivy decided to name the runt, purred under her fingertips. "Not to mention it smacks of treason if we were to consider it legally." The demon looked at her with a careless grin.

"Treason is a debatable statement. By all technicalities I'm not even a British citizen." Ivy responded before sticking out her tongue. "Besides, Ciel would know better than to interfere with me during one of my moody rants. And it's true…the wicked old hag is not out for the benefit of Ciel Phantomhive. If the boy has a problem with me calling the royal old bag out on her true nature, its only because he didn't grow up as one of her nine children."

"Oh heavens, Miss Ivy." He sounded like he was enjoying her open disdain. She had gone there. They remained in comfortable silence."Are you worried about the young master?" He smirked at her but Ivy waved him off.

"Of course not. Why should I worry about Ciel? He has you. I'm worried about myself right now. Her interest in Ciel has her now zeroing in on me and I'm not keen on so much attention being directed towards me." She placed a few kittens back into her lap before they slid off the mattress. "I'm not frightened in the sense that I think I would be in any immediate danger… but I've always been afraid that if I let too many people look closely at me that they would somehow see who –what- I really am."

"Metaphorically or literally?"

"Sebastian, don't make fun."

"I haven't. What is it that you fear? Them knowing that you are half demon? Or is it that you fear being thrown back into a situation where your insecurities are unleashed upon you? Do you worry that you will fall back into that place where so many people feel so strongly that you are lowly and vile that you will start to believe it yourself?" His words always frightened her when he asked her such serious questions, because it seemed that he always managed to touch the places that she kept most guarded from the world. How could he know her so well? How did he always manage to reach her, to stir her innermost sentiments so effectively like he was stirring a tub of buttercream?

"Perhaps both." Picking up the adorable kittens in her arms she gently placed them on the pillow she laid out for them on the floor. "I see no point in denying it. I've only ever experienced hardship from those who know the true me."

"Ah, and what is the true you? Ivy the half-breed? Ivy the orphan? Little one, are you afraid to let them see? Or are you ashamed?"

"I'm not ashamed… I'm… petrified. I know they are wrong, but I'm _petrified _that I'll never be able to prove that. I'm petrified that I will never make anybody understand just enough so that when they do see the true me… that they will _**really **_see it." As she spoke he remained silent and still, looking directly at her.

"What do they see?"

"What do _you _see?" She sounded testy now. Wasn't it obvious?

"I see you only as a woman." He shrugged and Ivy stood dumbfounded at the response. She blinked once or twice before shaking it off.

"I forget you don't count. You're weird." Her cheeks still reddened. "You never treat anybody different for things like that, because your obsessions focus on entirely different matters to measure the value of others. Besides you'd use everyone equally so long as they were useful."

"It was you who asked me too treat you like a woman. Don't you remember?"

"Since when do you ever change your way of looking at anybody just because they asked you to?"

"You make a good point."

"Are we done playing therapist now, Sigmund?" She huffed, plopping onto her bed. He let the black cat on his lap go, and she patted over to her babies.

"Certainly. We have more important things to tend to anyway."

Ivy groaned. "Here we go." She covered her face with both hands. "Is it really necessary Sebastian? Really? Haven't we done enough over the past week for me to be convincing?" The tall dark and twisted butler pulled out a rather hefty look file of papers. Ivy mentally added a category to her list of inter-dimensional butler pockets.

"Well, Miss Ivy. To mingle among nobility is one thing, to mingle among royalty is a horse of a different color. We are going to have to spend all of our time memorizing a new list of names and faces including a few from abroad." He sorted through the bunch mechanically. "You'll have to know their names, tid-bits of their political stand points, and their relation to the queen." When he looked down at Ivy she appeared both annoyed and unimpressed.

"Why do rich people take it upon themselves to know so much useless crap?"

Sebastian scoffed and reached a hand out, mildly startling her. He swiped a thumb over her usually rosy pink bottom lip. He came away with a red stain from the rouge she had failed getting completely off. He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "They coated your face with this ridiculous stuff as if they were expecting a circus act." Apparently Sebastian did not like make-up, or he just didn't like make-up on her. Granted it had felt too heavy for her.

"Right? Damn." She agreed, looking over the files. "I tried to wash it off but it kept smudging all over my face so I decided to do it later when I had some water before going to sleep."

"I can not fathom what they were thinking." He pulled off his glove and lifted her chin, taking matters into his own hands. "It diminishes your signature charm."

"Care to give them a few cosmetic tips, Lady Chatterly?" She drawled, suddenly turning red when his bare fingers touched her lips. He easily removed the make-up with his touch to the nekos surprise. She caught his wrist and glanced at her refection in her mirror. "How the bloody hell did you do that? It was a nightmare when I tried that approach!" Now this was just unfair. There was just no competing with Sebastian Michaelis.

"There are a great many things I can do that you know nothing about. Now lets concentrate on the task at hand."

"You were the one who went off topic-Hey! I didn't tell you, you could sit on my bed! Get your narrow ass off!"

"I let you sit on mine before." He teased.

"You _**tackled**_ me onto your bed you-mmph!" The butler silenced her by pushing a chocolate cupcake into her mouth. That should do it. He took the files from her and began to sort through the most important names and faces.

"Here is a list of dignitaries and that will doubtless be attending tomorrow evening."

"What the hell, Sebastian!"

….

"You allowed my son to pursue that wretched little creature?" Sabine of Bercarius glared at her mate with a new ferocity. He on the other hand kept a stonily blank face, unaffected by the tension between them. This was where that bull headed son of his got his temper tantrums from…but he got his obsessiveness from his father. Once a long time ago he would never have gotten stuck with the likes of this female. She had been charming before…then a bit irritating… but now she was an utter curse. A curse hell bent on bringing her son to the top of the entire clan. This factor made her useful for now.

"Your son made the decision to pursue tradition as it was meant to be kept. You can hardly blame me for giving him the opportunity to do it for himself. He would have to eventually anyway." His voice also betrayed absolutely nothing about what he was feeling. Centuries of practice.

"He is going through far too much trouble to retrieve that _thing _even to the point of aligning himself with the likes of Cavin of Ashcroft. I don't like it." She sauntered about and lounged on her favorite Recamier, brooding. "He wants this way too badly for it to be simple retrieval. And here you are feeding into his unhealthy fixation! I wont stand for it!"

"Relax, female. I have no intention of embarrassing myself or tainting the 'precious' reputation of you or your son." He kept himself busy as usual but looked up to an open view of his mate's cleavage. She was leaning over his desk with suspicious, narrowed eyes. Placing one hand on the surface, she used her free hand to run her fingers up his chest and back down. He frowned back at her.

"Well, let's hope not. Jet is young and impulsive, what he requires is proper guidance."

"What he requires is a brain. The idiot should have returned by now. He is going to make me get up off my ass and look for him, and he wont like it if it comes to that."

"No doubt, the Ashcroft boy is up to mischief of his own in that case. He would never take so long to find one girl." She paced thoughtfully, stroking her chin. "That or the boys have run into an obstacle that is more than they can handle…I can't imagine why that would happen though."

….

"What is that _thing _still doing here?" Shin huffed impatiently, Cavin hung back cautiously.

"Never mind that." He uttered softly. "It appears this is the home of a contractor, and that means we are currently standing on the temporary territory of a djinn. We have two options, get the hell out now, or try to kidnap Iv- the girl. I'm for getting the hell out. We need another plan cause we certainly can't get caught poking around the claimed ground of one of those monstrosities and live to tell about it." He soundlessly leapt to another branch in a fluid manner similar to cream in coffee. Shin however, did not move.

"I'll stay…study the lay out…. That way we can come up with something effective." He reasoned.

Green eyes stared at him in astonishment. "You weren't lying when you said your life didn't matter to you anymore. It is a waste of time she'll feel you there without me here to help conceal you." The kitsune folded his arms stubbornly.

"If you are so worried. Then you can observe with me."

"You're funny. One of us has to report to Prince Crankypants sooner or later anyway. I'm gonna tell him we found her and hear out his plan. Then we can plan around that plan." It was strange to watch two grown men sitting atop the thinnest of the high branches and not even disturbing a twig.

"Then go and stop pretending it matters to you what happens to me in the long run."

"I still need you alive."

The one they called Shin frowned in thought for a moment. "We don't have to hover in the grounds like rats in hiding, but we wont find an opportunity for a move if we do not keep some level of observation on the daily routine of the stuffy place."

"…You're right. Maybe if you remained at enough of a distance you could avoid discovery. How far can a sprite see?"

"As far as any of you can."

"Excellent. I have something for you then."

"We still have to get around Bercarius."

Cavin could only let out a weary sigh and his head dropped.

….

Roxy was more than unusually unresponsive ever since the elder chimney sweep had found the girl wandering around like a corpse. It had been unnerving to see someone like her behave so docile and silent. She had cried and cried all of that first night and no matter what he asked, she would not tell him what happened. Afterwards when she had settled down, she became moody and not quite as energetic, growing tired very easily. From time to time she experienced dizzy spells and he had to get her some water. Her face was often strained as if trying to remember something vital that had fallen from her mind. Sometimes at night he would find her pacing around their small living space. This time when he asked what happened, she genuinely couldn't recall much anymore. She knew she'd been kidnapped by… 'those things' as she called them but the rest was just completely blank.

It was a frustrating time for her. It had to be. "What things, Roxy? What are they?" He had asked her anxiously, and she had only snapped that she didn't know. Since then they spoke very little of the incident, trying to put it all together piece by piece. It seemed that they were getting nowhere and every night Wesley had to let her sleep with the gun she had bought.

At first he had, had such a hard time believing her story of 'monsters' burning down the orphanage but…now…he found himself considering what she had said. Perhaps the first incident it could be said that she had been traumatized into perceiving the memory in such a way. To see the perpetrators as monsters…but it had happened twice. There was a twinge of piercing fear in his gut and he always pushed it to the back of his mind. If that was the case, there would be little that a gun could do…right? Then he would internally scold himself and reason that allowing her to keep it gave her a sense of security, which was important for her right now.

In any case they had both simply went about their lives regardless, one always working to support the other. This is why the sweep flew from his bed with terror when the girl's voice suddenly rang out in the middle of the night so shrill, and loud, and purposeful.

"_WESS! WESS!" _One would think she was intent on waking the entire neighborhood. Fumbling with his trousers he bolted out of bed, not even bothering for any light. "_WESS!"_ The darkness and sleepiness of the two parties resulted in a collision as one scrambled to reach the other. A hollow knocking of foreheads clunking in the dim room announced their success before they both crashed to the ground in a heap. "There you are." She breathed.

"Roxy…what the 'ell is wrong wiv you!" He hissed, still clutching his head. "Are ya whacked or something?" The tired but completely alert girl sat up with a hand pressed to her forehead, insistently shaking her head.

"No, no." She told him, trying to regain her bearings and clear speech. "Blimey, Wess I 'aven't been thinking this clearly in days!" With her free hand she clutched the fabric of his shirt as if to keep his focus anchored on her. "Those men…those things that kidnapped me! I remember. I _remember!_" Tears fell and he immediately moved to embrace her tightly but her arm kept him at bay. "There's no time! We 'ave to get packin!" Both hands jerked his shoulders trying to get him to stand up with her urgently.

"Packin-wha- what? What are you talking about?" The young man demanded.

"They ain't human, Wesley! They're monsters!"

"Oi, you've been saying that fer a while now, but you're still not makin a lick o' sense!" He stood up with a grunt. Amber-esque eyes stared at him in dejected desperation and he sighed. "Look if yer that scared you can sleep 'ere wiv me, but we can't pack up and run off. We aint got anywhere to go, kid." His reasoning was kind and considerate but Roxy was not put at ease.

"You don't understand! I _remember _now! They did things, asked me things! After torturous hours…maybe days they chucked me like I didn't even matter none into the gutter!"

"Oh Roxy…" His eyes were sad.

"Shut up! I ain't done! They even tried to get me to forget I'd even seen them and I did for a while but… I guess something went wrong. Wess they just chucked me because I _**didn't **_matter!"

"Roxana Carmichael you're babbling and its getting scary 'ere."

"Wesley Andrews those guys were not after me. Not either of us. They came to the orphanage _looking _for someone. I _remember._ The only two people left of Bedfordshire's all girls orphanage are me and Ivy! Ivy! Wess Ivy's in trouble an' we've gotta find her and help her!" She shouted with determination. The fourteen-year-old now had Wesley's undivided attention. His shoulders went rigid and he impulsively moved towards his things but stopped.

"I don't think there's much I can do alone." He cursed himself. "Maybe the yard-"

"You an' I both know the yard ain't gonna do shit for our story. They'll just think I'm barmy an' send me off to the bin, you know that." Roxy lit their rusty old lantern revealing that she was already dressed. "Look. You don't 'ave to believe me when I say they are monsters but… she needs us whether they're 'uman or not. I thought maybe she left because she knew they were after 'er but she's stayin at Phantom'ive now and they could find 'er there. Its not possible she would stay there if she knew. We gotta warn Ivy!"

Wesley heard enough he stuffed his belongings into a knapsack and slung it over his shoulder. "I must be outta me damn mind, but 'ere it goes." In a single bound Roxy was squeezing the life out of her old friend.

"Thank you, Wess." She cried.

"Don't thank me yet. S'a long way to the Phantomhive estate from 'ere."

"Then we ought ta make tracks."

….

"_Have you seen her?_" The whispers at the party had begun long before the subject of the latest gossip could arrive. It seemed like the ladies of England were working faster than usual. Three particular ladies stood around one another discussing what they knew of the topic amongst themselves. Surrounded by the notes of one of Strauss' many waltzes, and by the decadence that only royalty was capable of creating, they seemed to have no time for anything but their current discussion.

"_Just at her performance. Who is this Lady Durless?" _One among the party, the youngest and least in tune with local rumors, inquired of her companions. Her parents had taken her to see the performance.

_ "I heard she came from Paris." _A third young lady paid her question no mind. The little dear was still rather innocent.

_ "I heard she is staying with her cousin…" _The first responded in kind. A tall broad lady, with an entire gossip network set up. A proud open busy body in her dark violet gown.

_ "Which one?" _The youngest perked, eager to learn of the mysterious lady with the eerily perfect singing voice.

_ "A distant one through marriage,__** The**__ Earl Ciel Phantomhive." _She explained proudly, posturing her information like a victorious huntress.

_ "I heard so as well. __**Quite **__a shock." _The third among the party confirmed with a flip of blond hair that had been left loose. Anybody who was anybody spoke about the Earl of Phantomhive at least twice. This fact was supported when the girl listening to her older friends gave a start. She gasped.

_ "Earl Phantomhive a patron? Unheard of!" _

_ "Yes at his estate!" _The first insisted excitedly with a conspiratorial expression._ "According to Beatrice who was at the performance, she harshly reprimanded his butler and he allowed it without a second glance." _

_ "What did she do?"_

_ "She struck him, my dear, across the cheek." _

_ "That is only to be expected." _The blond preened herself, before opening her fan carelessly.

_ "How do you mean?"_

_ "Beatrice said he put his hands on her." _

_ "Shameful!" _She gasped.

_ "Indeed. Imagine the trouble that would accompany a servant being so besotted with you." _The women grew strangely quiet trying to imagine it and finding the image of being advanced on by the Phantomhive butler. Faces grew hot, cheeks turned red and they couldn't look each other in the eye. Perhaps Miss Durless was a true English woman of sterner stuff to have responded as she did.

_"Come now." _The blond giggled awkwardly. _"Surely you've both seen him. Troublesome though it may be, it is certainly not unflattering."_

_ "He is very handsome." _The girl admitted feeling a bit ashamed to do so. Her parents would disapprove. _"But… such attention could be disreputable… people could talk." _She wrung her white-gloved hands together. _"It would damage marriage prospects." _

_"Ha. Apparently she was disowned by her immediate relatives for refusing to ever marry." _The tall one commented.

_ "What a silly girl._" The blond sniffed. _"Suitors mean diamonds. Lavish comfort and prestige. She must be utterly daft if not simply trying to gain attention for herself, there is nothing a man wants more than something they can't have."_

_ "I don't think so. If you didn't have marriage to concern yourself with, you could have any love of no consequence that you wanted. With that sort of freedom why should she refuse that butler? It is not male attention she is after." _The two older girls went silent in astonishment at their young friends assessment.

….

Ivy felt like a doll for the first time in a while. She didn't have to be dirty all the time anymore and if she removed her arm length black gloves, her fingernails would still be clean. A small smile came over her face. It was perfectly okay to be appreciative of all the little things. Being escorted by Ciel was so funny, she tried not to laugh, but he just looked so cute standing beside her. The ball all around her was a sensory overload. The smells of perfume were so various that it was unpleasantly tickling Ivy's throat. Sometimes being extra sensitive was a curse. The twirling gowns in various colors moved about to the Emperor's Waltz, singing of opulence and indulgence. And to Ivy…a little bit of frivolity.

The moment she stepped in she could hear all of the soft murmurs, meant to be too quiet to hear, but a neko could hear everything, especially in a room with so much echo. Sebastian walked behind them silently but so long as she could feel his presence, she was secure. Hopefully her clan had started to catch on to the bait by now. So she began to feel anxious, and she knew that it would probably be worse if she couldn't feel him around. Even now in her jade green gown with cream and black accents she felt strangely vulnerable.

Then again that could also be because of the bold low cut made to show off a bare back and shoulders, but the front was completely covered…cruel irony of ironies. Around her neck was a new collar…it matched the dress and had a large pretty bow at the back with two flowing ribbons that reached to hang tastefully between the shoulder blades. She had expected the butler to tease her for her prudish embarrassment. He hadn't said a single word tonight. It made her worry at the same time as she sagged in relief. He scolded her for slouching at that, but he didn't prod her spine the way he usually did, his hand was lower… and rested differently against the curve of her lower back.

"Get ready." She heard Ciel speak in a low tone, barely moving his lips. Her cheeks flushed slightly, catching herself reading too much into the strange action. Sebastian always managed to do something new to creep her out all the time anyway. Green eyes focused and caught a glimpse of the reason for Ciel's warning. Queen Victoria herself had emerged to greet her little watchdog.

"Oh my cute little boy!" She hurried over with her valet John close behind. "I'm so happy you had time to attend my humble gathering." Humble? Ivy's eyes gathered the decadence of the room and she forced herself not to roll her eyes. The effort made her sockets ache. Now she looked at her, and the neko felt like she was trying to see through her, which was really an utter joke for a human to attempt. "My dear, thank you so much for keeping my cute little boy company, it would be ideal for him to have a more maternal influence near by after all." Ciel twitched at the statement.

"My Mother's second cousin. Lady Ivy Durless." He introduced. "Ivy, may I present Her Majesty Queen Victoria." Ivy had to bite the inside of her mouth as she curtsied to Queen -*cough*Crone*cough*- Victoria.

"I'm pleased to meet you."

"Oh not at all. It was I who was most curious about you, my dear. The pleasure must be all mine."

_Um… yeah I'm more than certain it is, if there is any at all. _"You seem to be in good health, your majesty." She spoke softly, completely devoid of her usual sincerity, which made her sound just as she did when she first spoke to Sebastian.

"Quite. My John has been taking good care of me." She smiled in a fond sort of way. "I would love to speak more with you, but I have important matters to discuss with my cute little boy here. Enjoy the ball! Mingle as you wish and if you need anything at all, I personally permit you to speak to my Phipps…or Grey if you wish." Ivy just nodded.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I shant keep you any longer." Waving them off she turned about fiercely when they were no longer looking. "_I __**hate **__this place." _She muttered through gritted teeth, making a beeline for the servants carrying champagne flutes. All the while she mimicked the monarchs words in a distorted high-pitched voice. "You have my pershonal permishun to ashk me shervants, meh meh meh. I just wanna keep an eye on you while I grill a thirteen-year-old boy that I make commit unshpeakable acts on an almosht weekly basis." Downing the flute, she didn't skip a beat as she passed another servant and took another, making her way to the buffet table.

Food: The only thing that made parties really worthwhile. Piling pastries onto a dish, she took a monstrous bite out of an apple tart, not caring who saw, only to sag in disappointment that it was delicious but not as flaky as Sebastian's. He had ruined dessert for her too now. Defiantly she chewed and swallowed it and even reached for more. In the process of bringing back her arm she accidently elbowed someone else's equally zealous arm. She gave a squeak of surprise, only to meet the silver eyes of a strange platinum blonde young man. A year or so older at the most? She spied his plate just as he did hers and they both noted their equally massive bounties. He smirked in approval around the fork in his mouth.

Ivy calmed down considerably. He had a presence to fascinate, but he was not as tall as Sebastian by any means, she could easily look him in the eye if she tilted her head ever so slightly. Her forehead probably reached his nose. It was the uniform that caught her attention however, quickly her mind worked. John had been the one with her majesty…Phipps had been the one who handed Ciel the invitation…this must have been…

"Earl Charles Grey?" She inquired. He blinked slightly before removing the eating utensil from between his lips before smirking.

"Lady Durless." He returned. "I see it looks like you've got some remarkable hunting and gathering skills there. I wouldn't have guessed." A nod to her plate signified that he was not one for tact. Blunt honesty…Ivy could work with that. She surveyed his own pile of treats briefly.

"We share an equal talent it seems." She shrugged. He scoffed and proceeded to stuff his face. Wow…how much could he fit in there? The young Earl was so trim too! How did he manage that with such an appetite?

"Nothing wrong with a healthy appetite, and you look like a lady who knows how to feed herself." He spoke so casually for someone who was probably supposed to be keeping an eye on her. "Good. Wring that brat for all he's worth. Eat him and his wretched butler bankrupt while you're at it." His hand shot out to snatch a glass of champagne from a passing gentleman before he could drink from it, and sipped non-committedly at the beverage, as he looked the outraged man dead in the eye like nothing ever happened. Well so much for the land of good manners…but his twisted sense of humor reminded Ivy of someone she knew once. The reminder was like a pang in her chest.

"I'm guessing you don't like them." She uttered flatly, pushing the horrible memory aside.

"Psh! Do you?"

"I'm not so much of a hypocrite that I would affiliate myself with people I don't like."

"You sure? Gotta do what we gotta do to get by. Who's judging?" He shrugged. Ivy rolled her eyes and ate something chocolaty. Mmm nummy.

"Nope. Nothing is worth that, but you're not _all_ wrong. I don't like his butler after all. He's an intolerable know it all, and he's so rigid and-"

"Creepy."

"YES!" She pointed and shook her head with another eye roll.

"Heard you popped him one the other day. Is that true?"

"No…I didn't punch him. It was only a slap."

"So you did hit him."

"…Yes?"

"Niiiice. I think I like you." He turned to lean on the table briskly. Oh yes, he was a lot like someone she once knew. "I was just telling Phipps that I wondered what the stiff would look like if he got a good sock in eye. So what? Was it normal? Or did his rigid ass spin around and drill a hole in the ground." The neko couldn't help it, she laughed.

"Actually no. There wasn't much of a result at all."

"No. Really?" He looked genuinely stumped for words. "Up until now I just thought his weird expressionlessness was just a result of something crawling up his ass to die when he was a child, but this is ridiculous." Silvery eyes narrowed in the butler's direction. "You know there is seriously just something not _right _about that guy." Ivy felt a sharp spike in his presence. He was very perceptive, but the look in his eyes was gone in an instant. "I wasn't interested in talking to you tonight, but I guess you're okay, for a fat ass." He shrugged.

"Says the man with mountain of pure dessert on his plate. At least I have other types of hors d'oeuvres on mine." She stuck out her tongue.

"Yeah, other types of cheesy calorie packed hors d'oeuvres." He retorted cheekily. Ivy just shook her head and scoffed at his relentlessness. Getting a better look at his uniform she noted that he had customized his a bit. It was different from the others. He had a long tailcoat and he wore knee high white spats with black buttons all the way up to the top. Looks like he was severely individualistic to have gone through the trouble of attaining this privilege. He caught her looking.

"Like what you see?"

"Trying to decide which one of us is fatter." She quickly countered. Charles' face soured.

"He's looking at me. I don't like it when he gives me that look." He said darkly and Ivy noted that Phipps had been giving him a 'look'.

"Your baby-sitter?" She sipped daintily from the flute.

"Partner." He corrected curtly. "I'm a full grown man, I don't need him or anybody else to baby sit me." There was a moment of silence. "You know, we're being watched." The queen's butler nudged his chin in the direction of Her Majesty and Ciel. Ivy took note of the nasty grin on his face. She sighed in a displeased sort of manner having realized this a while into their conversation.

"Please don't pay him any mind. Ciel ordered him to keep an eye on me and I've been ignoring him all this time so please follow my example. _My _babysitter I guess you could say." She murmured from behind her glass. "He's been strangely quiet tonight and it's a bit unnerving."

"PMS."

"HAHAHA-" She instantly covered her mouth. The orchestra began to play the Vienna Sweets Waltz. A song dedicated to a foreign princess, named for the delicious pastries of Italy. "Ah, a song for all gluttons to pay homage to." She shrugged airily. Charles gave a brief grin and shrugged along with her.

"Ha. You're right. Well we're at a party aren't we?" He offered her his hand and Ivy realized what he meant. She raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly.

"Inviting me to dance?"

"Duh."

"Well… is your dancing as sharp as your wit?"

"Sharper." He winked.

"Alright. Then try not to step on my toes, big man."

"Challenged accepted." And she took his hand. Meanwhile the silver tray in the Phantomhive butler's hands became twisted and bent in his grasp.

* * *

Author's Note: Whoopsie! Chapter done. I seriously did think I was going to get this one out sooner but it proved more difficult than I had anticipated. So yeah, Main summary: Viscount is dissed, Ivy is looking adorable, Grey is a jerk, Ciel is occupied, Phipps is annoyed, and Sebastian is PISSED. You will also note that I give Ivy's family and their rival family European names. I do have a reason for this so sit tight. Also I'm not sure I did Grey any justice as a character. I don't often focus on him very much, even if I think he's like an adorable demented little doll. I think I'm running low on creative juices, usually I prefer to be more descriptive…I blame school -_-' it is the tool of the devil. (No offense Sebby my love!) Yeah and MANY THANK YOUS AND COOKIES TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T GIVEN UP ON ME! 3! Okay so Ciao my dawlins. Until next time.


	36. That Maid, Unravelling

Author's Note: Shhhhh. Be vewy vewy quiet… I'm hunting wabbits. Well actually I'm typing out this chapter at ungodly hours of the night and don't want anybody to wake up to the sound of my incessant typing clicks. Oh well. So yeah I'm typing out the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it immensely. Ah, yes Charles Grey, he's cheeky and persistent enough to piss Sebby the hell off. Um…it could be the late hour but… am I the only one that thinks the giant millipede from Charlie the unicorn 4 is very reminiscent of the Viscount Druitt? Also I'm just not feeling this school arc -_-. Seriously. Anyway moving on. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I am a dancing marionette of the system and so I have no choice but to tell you that I don't own kuroshitsuji every time I update a new chapter. Not that I'm stupid enough to think that anybody would believe me, or want to commit acts of fraud and forgery. I don't need Shinigami troubles again…Undertaker really freaked me out when I stayed with him that time…

**Chapter Thirty-Six: That Maid, Unraveling**

"_For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind." – _Ralph Waldo Emerson.

It is a simple thing for a demon to keep track of everything in a room at once. Sebastian Michaelis had spent his entire life taking in each detail of his surroundings, calculating possibilities, and monitoring his immediate proximity. A ballroom was a grand scene for the human world, but it also made a very plainly set out ground to survey. It was simple; very few things there could obstruct his view.It hadn't taken long at all for Miss Ivy to make her way straight toward the pastries and the rest of the food. The butler could have timed it. She was so funny.

It seemed as though it was only a moment that he had carefully listened to the conversation between the young master and the queen. And though he did not lose track of the conversation, he was a bit distracted when he looked back and caught sight of the conniving, smallest butler of the queen. He'd been intrigued when Ivy's arm knocked into his and made him drop a tart. At first he had looked ready to shoulder her aside as he would anybody else, and the demon nearly laughed at the idea of him trying it on Miss Ivy. She would very likely find some clever way to avenge herself, which always caught Sebastian by surprise.

To his surprise however, she turned to look at him appraisingly and Grey seemed to forget about it. He obviously recognized her as the subject of the queen's curiosity. It was no secret that Charles Grey often left the work to his partner Phipps if he thought the object of their mission was not worth the effort, offering only the necessary assistance. Now however, it seemed he suddenly found this particular 'object' to be potentially…quite diverting. Of course she was. Miss Ivy never quite met nor surpassed expectation. She was an oddity that way; how she responded to situations was never quite what you initially thought she would. At the moment for some reason she had surprised the queen's blond attendant when she gazed at him appraisingly and uttered something.

Taking a glance toward Phipps, Grey's taller and more serious partner, he noted that he was mildly taken aback by the scene. They continued to talk with little incident. Miss Ivy seemed to be completely unruffled so she likely had the situation under hand. They strayed onto commenting toward each other's plates, and Sebastian frowned when Ivy smiled at him, knowing his position on the playing board, and his apparent loyalty to the queen that she seemed to dislike so much. It was not as though he had not expected her to keep up her persona and be a sweet and polite lady. The smile, however, had seemed genuine. He could see the young master's gaze wandering toward the pair now and then.

Miss Ivy was a magnet for trouble, of all people to find agreeable, Earl Charles Grey was probably among the worst. He was rude, gluttonous, and unrefined. He made a _mess _wherever he went it seemed; his destructive behavior often angered Sebastian whenever he decided to make an entrance at the manor. All in all if Sebastian were to quickly describe him, he would say that he was clever, but he was also an insect. Ivy was not an imbecile; she probably should already know that he would be trying to draw information out of her through simple conversational means.

What Ivy _always, __**always**_ failed to realize however, was when a man obviously wanted something _more_ from her. Granted there would probably be many at this party who would chance a waltz with the doll-like little ravenette to be close to her. It seemed the longer she remained, the more noticeable she had become everywhere she went. She had begun to attract more flies than usual. But Grey was different, his position was not only below the little maid's in every possible way, but his behavior toward her would most likely be displayed in a way that was clearly meant to disturb Sebastian and his young master. That much had been confirmed when he shot the observant butler a smug look, accompanied by a detestable grin.

Deep reddish eyes narrowed. There was no point in focusing on Grey's ulterior motives. His most important goal here was to find some inconsistencies in Miss Ivy's character. She was intelligent enough not to give anything away. His gaze followed them here and there and it bothered him but for the most part he was more concerned with the current exchange happening between his young master and the monarch he chose to answer to. It was then that he heard her burst of laughter. It was laughter that sounded so, sweet and real, and _full. _She was not acting, she was not pretending, she had broken character. For _him._

Ivy was easy going and it was not rare to hear her laughing, Sebastian heard it countless times, therefore it was easy for him to decipher whether or not it was fake, and which laugh it was. Sometimes it was to be polite, other times it was sarcastic, and sometimes she giggled at simple amusements –like small coincidences, or a little accident- then there was the peal of a bubbly, forthcoming sort of laughter that she let out when she found something especially hilarious. This was just that. The butler's attention was suddenly diverted. What precisely was he saying to her?

The butler hadn't been aware of how tense his body was until the blond royal attendant grinned, giving the neko a once over before moving around her and holding out a hand as he spoke. Ivy smiled and made what appeared to be a smart remark to which he made a reply and, after a brief exchange, winked. She took his hand and the demon's jaw ticked; there were many men in this room… and the one who least deserved the privilege of touching her was doing just that now. And as the two made their way to the floor Grey took a peek over his shoulder and had the audacity to _wink _at him.

The tray he held in his hands suddenly gave in to the force of his fingers and he looked down at the damage. Not an issue, he could easily repair that. He caught sight of Ciel's gaze frowning at the bent metal and giving him a look. Lovely.

….

Earl Grey didn't tower over Ivy, and he was not as broad as Sebastian. It felt odd when she touched his slender shoulder, and felt the foreign sensation of easy access. Sebastian was rather tall, so resting her arm on his shoulder required slightly more effort. Where the butler had been cool and in control, Charles Grey was energetic and fun. Ivy was not sure if either could be called better. Rather than feeling guided, she felt challenged by his pull. Perhaps another lady would have been intimidated, was that why he was still unmarried? Did he frighten off the ladies of court? The idea was amusing to Ivy considering aggression in a partner was supposed to frighten _men, _not the other way around. In any case it was just not physically possible for a human to frighten Ivy. Even if there were a possibility, it would have been squashed after standing firm through one of Sebastian's rare moments of temper tantrum.

"Shouldn't we be making small talk?"

"Nope. I much prefer people watching." As they moved Ivy noted that there was not one move or turn that he did not try. It was like he was testing her.

"While you dance?" She raised an eyebrow.

"What can I say? I like a challenge and people are way more likely to do something interesting when they think you're too busy to look." He whirled her about expertly to get a better look at a specific gathering of gentlemen. "For instance: You see that tub of lard they have the nerve to address as '_Baron_ Orwell'? He only got the position through a marriage of convenience with this pretty young thing. Not the point however, if you watch him long enough you'll see him sneaking all sorts of things into his trousers to take home for purposes unknown." As he said this, Ivy witnessed the blighter slipping a handful of cream puffs into the front of his pants. She blanched and shut her eyes tightly.

"That… must be one of the single most disturbing things I've had to see in my life. Why would you show me something so horrible? Why?" She uttered in a monotone voice as she focused her eyes on his face -anything to forget that image. The Earl laughed at her response. "His wife's parents must have hated her." The neko was moved to pity for whoever was saddled with that…sad, sad…organism. Grey shrugged.

"Madame Orwell is a Grade A bitch so I can't feel too sorry for the brat." From his statement Ivy noted that he was rather cold. She had been acquainted with colder in her life however.

"I'm not sure I'd wish that on my worst enemy…" The neko pondered aloud. She could hear people around them murmuring amongst themselves. The combined humming of their chattering reminded Ivy of a wasp's nest. Who knew how many other bits of disturbing information and misinformation was being passed around.

"You must be really easy on your enemies then. I wish many things on mine." Mulling over their conversation Ivy gave a detached sort of smile. Was she really? Who did she really count as her enemy aside from the obvious? She laughed at the concept of going 'easy' on her enemies if given a choice as to their fate. Cats and demons alike have a tendency of being extremely vindictive and sadistic, and Ivy could be a prime example. Though she was not fond of mindless indiscriminate killing, she was a firm believer in doing what was necessary and even if someone was just enough of a prick, she could easily have a seat, and take time to ponder on how to appropriately finish them. With an imagination like hers, it was bound to be nasty. With a girlish shrug, she just smiled a bit wider.

"I guess we'll never know." Something felt odd in the way their dance progressed; it was like Grey was purposely testing out even her dancing skills. Trying to poke holes in her front. Ha, Ivy found this kind of funny after all the time she had spent having this dance drilled into her brain like all the others. A dreadful experience if there ever was one, and there was no way he could poke holes in Sebastian's meticulous wall. He had left no stone unturned and Ivy had worked so hard that nothing could shake her now. Anyway Grey was obviously doing his job so Ivy didn't particularly hold anything he might be doing against him. If he behaved like a prick to her then it would be another story.

He shrugged back in equal measure. "I'm not pretending to know anything about you… it seems nobody does after all." She knew what he was implying but didn't offer a reaction.

"Good. I'd rather they know nothing, makes for a good selling point." She murmured sweetly. People seemed to be watching her with great interest. Ivy caught Phipps pacing about once in a while in observation before going about his business. "Your partner seems to keep a close eye on you." She noted with a light touch of humor. His shoulder rolled slightly under her hand in irritation.

"Yeah, yeah I know." Grey didn't sound overly concerned. Ivy bit back a grin at his expression however. He looked rather like a petulant child enduring a mother's lecturing.

"Still not admitting to the babysitter deal?"

"Nope."

"That is funny, cause it really looks like babysitting." She teased lightly.

"You know you really shouldn't be talking considering." He responded. At this she shrugged carelessly.

"I never denied my own babysitting, black clad, nanny woes." Her eyes enjoyed watching the blurring cascade of colors wrought by the many spinning gowns. "We're in the same boat. You would think we were trouble magnets." Green eyes gleamed slightly.

"Nah. I _am _the trouble. So _you _must be the magnet. A pleasure to meet you."

"And here I thought introductions were over with." A roll of her pleasant green eyes led her to watch a few miserable looking children. 'They look on the outside how I'm feeling on the inside.' She commented internally.

"Peh. Anyway, maybe you're right; does that make this a play date?"

"I hope this is not you flirting."

"No. I'm way too direct for that kind of thing; this is me being sardonic."

"Its not cute."

"You're breaking my heart." He retorted flatly.

"Oh my god! They're bringing out a giant cake!" Ivy cheered. "_Now _it's a party."

Grey took a look himself and grinned slightly. "I was wondering when they would haul out the big guns." The two of them were suddenly not particularly interested in dancing. "I've been told its red velvet." At his statement Ivy blinked. She hadn't ever been able to try red velvet cake before living in an orphanage, it had never crossed her mind and now she finally realized.

"What?" His voice interrupted her thoughts. Ivy's eyes snapped back to him.

"Sorry. Staring at the cake."

He just scoffed. "I'm with you there. Lets move in."

….

'What the hell am I doing?' he grumbled anxiously in his mind. He opted to climb back up and glide from branch to branch to better conceal his approach. 'I am a leaf…on the wind.' He thought reassuringly to himself. Once he reached the closest tree line to the house undeterred, he felt a bit more confidence. Perhaps he really wasn't here. Still when he moved he made sure he did so quickly until he reached a place with more cover. Finally, without disturbing a single leaf or twig, he barrel rolled into the bushes. A sigh he couldn't keep at bay escaped him in his relief. Neither of them was home obviously or he'd have been assaulted by now.

His gut sank that he couldn't get her alone and save time, but he was mostly relieved. A slender hand touched the sidewall of the house. Two options: climb to the roof, or climb through a window?

"What are you doing?" A stern familiar voice beside him suddenly admonished, making him jump practically out of his skin. Cavin sat Indian style beside him within the green shrubbery. Arms folded and a present scowl on his face. Shin glared and eyed him silently.

"How long have you been back?" He arched an eyebrow. Cavin just stared blankly back at him for several moments before responding.

"Long enough to watch you behave like a dumbass. What was all that about?" He motioned out to the garden. At his silence, Cavin's mind quickly calculated what he had been watching, and looking at the manor wall beside him and back at the crafty fox narrowed his eyes. "Were you trying to break into a contractor's home?" His tone was both incredulous and exasperated. This creature just didn't give a flying rats ass whether he lived or died! The kitsune gave no answer, just looked up expressionlessly at the height of the structure.

"Unbelievable…what could you possibly hope to gain from such a feat? She's not even here, Shinsho!" He scolded harshly. At this name the fox winced and regarded him coldly.

"We agreed not to use my real name in order to keep my cover."

"Oh please it's just you and me here, and I'm sick of all these pretenses. I'm ready to kill something…preferably Jet Bercarius." Cavin sunk in posture where he sat and the kitsune gave a long annoyed sigh. "You're just pissed off that your name is basically gibberish… like someone took two names and stuck them together with gum."

"This 'name' that you are talking about was put before my original name as one new name. It was given to me as a sign to always remember my sworn faithfulness."

"Ah…yes…Shin… 'faithful and true'." Cavin mocked sighed dreamily. "It should have been idiot sho. Look there is no reason whatsoever to break into the little brat's house. Waste of time."

"…If I could just perform a thorough exploration of the manor right now…while no one is around…I could be better prepared when the time to actually do so comes…" His slender fingers lightly brushed against the wall he faced. Cavin looked unimpressed with his statement.

"Yeah and if you had happened to be mistaken in the beast not being home?"

"Am I?"

"No genius. Did you figure that out when you found me sitting this close to the house? That isn't the point; you _could_ have been. What then?"

Once again 'Shin' just shrugged and gave no response. Cavin face palmed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're impossible you realize this. Wh-_Hey! What are you doing?_" He demanded hoarsely as the young kitsune began to brave the manor walls, climbing dexterously with little to impede him from sill to sill. "_Get down! Shi- if any one of those humans sees you-_"

"Afraid of humans, mighty Ashcroft?" Dilated fox eyes glowed down at him in amusement. Cavin narrowed his eyes at the jab.

"Ha ha ha…no. I'd rather not be seen and then have them tell that pointy nosed monstrosity that we were here. Then he- _Shin! Seriously!_ Urrrrrrgh." The Ashcroft tracker pulled at his hair. "I feel that up until this point in our collaboration I have been very considerate to your desires, and I'd rather I not have to change my tune at this point. In case you don't catch the implication, _I'd rather not climb up there and __**drag **__your ass down._" He placed his hands on the wall, glaring threateningly. He heard a familiar sound that he hadn't heard in years; the sound of Shin snickering in his attempts to hold back full on laughter. The tracker was amazed at the sudden change in him.

"You could certainly try…but you'd have to catch me to accomplish that wouldn't you?" A sadistic glee was lighting the fox's sharp features. Cavin pursed his lips…was bringing him along _really _worth all this trouble. Without any words it was clear that the challenge had been accepted. Shin drew two nicely sized fans from his sleeves smugly and with a downward swing was airborne barely visible to the eye due to his speed. Cavin grit his teeth.

"Oh for crying out loud." He followed.

As Shin landed on a specific windowsill in a crouch, he looked at the angry neko below with a challenging smirk. His eyes then surveyed the interior of a plain little room on the other side of the glass. A dim light was on so he cautiously leaned away but he caught sight of a figure by the mirror in the room. It was plain by the silhouette that a woman was changing in there. 'Woops.' He thought mischievously, before barely avoiding Cavin's sudden advance. Unfortunately the neko's graceful landing was perfectly soundless, so Shin deflated. Cavin accidentally took a peek and stared flatly.

"Is that why you let me get so close? You got distracted?" In retaliation Shin tossed a marble from his pocket against the glass. Cavin's eyes popped and he jumped up in time to avoid a bullet that unexpectedly shot through the glass. Shin outright laughed hysterically, but both males made a break for it.

"_Upupup!" _Cavin whispered harshly as they ran up to the roof before they could be seen. It paid to be unearthly fast. Shin was still clutching his side as they darted across the slate shingles as soundless as a breeze. "You. Fucking. Bastard. You are sooooo sosososo lucky that I need you alive to accomplish my agenda."

"_Now _who is the bastard who lost his sense of humor?" The kitsune practically breezed over the roofing as if floating on the air itself. The neko let out a snarl.

"Do you suppose you should work on your **timing **maybe?"

"You're the nasty bastard peeping on naked humans and getting shot at while we're supposed to be working. Dirty pervert." He laughed and dodged when Jet took a swing at him with his katana. "OOP! They should change the phrase to peeping Cavin!...To be fair I hadn't expected her to _shoot _at you… I thought she would have screamed."

The young Ashcroft massaged his temples. Why had he even bothered asking such a stupid question…Shin's sense of humor had always been inappropriate, in both timing and otherwise. "If this costs us the element of surprise when our _**target **_comes back, or puts our own wretched lives in jeopardy, I'm tripping you to get a head start." He darted ahead of Shin, acting like he'd never even met him before. In no time the two of them vanished into the trees.

"What did you tell Jet?"

"I told him I would meet up with him at Covent Garden and explain what exactly we found. He doesn't trust in this 'trail' we've told him about."

"Maybe he isn't such an idiot."

"In this scenario he may as well be."

….

"You really aren't how I imagined you'd be from the descriptions I heard through others." Grey suddenly commented. Ivy perked and realized yeah, maybe not. The two were on their fourth pieces of cake by now.

"It's a bit feminine of you to be into gossip." She commented lightly, taking another bite from her plate. He frowned slightly before shrugging.

"I can't help it if I hear stories in passing. Women squawk like parrots once you get them in a room together like their almost trying to be heard over one another." His grey eyes travelled about the room. "You must be a pretty popular subject among the men as well, I can already count quite a few that appear to be waiting for an opening." He smirked and Ivy was not sure why.

"Well, I don't even know what you've heard." She dismissed. "And yeah, still sounds pretty feminine to me." At this he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say." He stuffed his face with more cake. Green eyes surveyed him one more time. Come to think of it…Charles Grey was kind of slender and his eyelashes were really long. The neko girl held back a laugh. …And his hair was prettier than most ladies attending the party.

"Don't fret. You'd make a very pretty girl, even if you'd be a little flat chested."

"I'm not sure I like where this joke is leading." He placed his plate down and stretched his arms behind his head. His coat shifted upwards revealing a glimmer of color and sparkle. Ivy's keen eye was quick to pick up on it and in the spirit of the moment mock exclaimed.

"And look! Jewels as well! From an admirer, Lady Charlotte?" She teased as she moved to get a closer look, grasping the item by the chain that was clasping it to his person. Grey didn't seem overly concerned about her interest as she pulled the bauble loose. He arched an eyebrow. In her hand Ivy smiled down at an ornate little Faberge egg that was held on a dainty gold chain. It was roughly the size of an ordinary hen's egg with a surface that was smooth and white and gold trimming in the design of four vines curving around it. The rest was coated with a colorful array of gems, the loveliest of which was the glittering glow of the opal.

"Will it bring out my eyes do you think?" He drawled sarcastically. Ivy glowed like any girl should in the face of such a pretty keep sake.

"Where did you get it?" Her voice sounded less teasing now. The queen's attendant gave an annoyed scoff.

"Its not at all my taste. I've been trying to decide the best way to get rid of it all night." Nimble fingers unclasped it, allowing her to examine it further in the light. The smooth texture of the surface accompanied by the opals made it seem almost luminous.

"Oh." She responded to him, still turning it over in her hand. "May I ask why?"

"Like I said, I don't care for it very much, and if I kept it I'd be giving the Countess Volkov the wrong idea." He muttered in disdain. "She wanted to give it to me as a keepsake and my first instinct was to chuck it over my shoulder right in her face but Phipps was standing right there and-" When Ivy interrupted him with a peal of giggles he rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Sorry, continue." She motioned graciously.

"…As I was saying, she would just consider it a part of my 'charming persona' and take it as a sign that another gift would better suffice…then she'd want to come again." He sounded so much like a petulant child at that moment that Ivy's lips curved stubbornly, trying not to laugh again. Still holding it, she shrugged.

"It is a shame, that such a pretty little token should bring you such turmoil, Earl Grey."

"I can _taste _the sarcasm in the air right now, you must realize this." Gray eyes stared flatly at the smiling prima donna. She offered the trinket back to its owner but he didn't reach for it. Instead he pursed his lips as if in thought, looking at the egg and back at the lady. "Hmmmm… come to think of it. I find that it suits you much better." He remarked. At this the neko girl blinked in surprise.

Furrowing her brows, she spoke. "Are you saying…?" She trailed, uncertain and not wanting to be presumptuous. He held up both hands in front of himself.

"By all means take it."

"Earl Grey, I don't think it appropriate to accept something so expensive. Why do you not just sell it?" Her large eyes continued to blink at him, curiously. With all those jewels it had to be worth a pretty penny, and it was rather pretty.

"Just selling it wouldn't put my point across to that persistent, sordid _cow_ and I don't exactly have the time to stage an auction for a fair price, besides it would look ridiculous with just one item." He dismissed her idea with a careless shrug. "I'm not going to walk around hustling it to the guests like some clueless ass either." Ivy gave him a flat sort of look as if assessing his intent.

"She's watching isn't she?" It was worded as a question, but was an obvious declaration.

"Like a vulture." He responded never once looking away from Ivy's face as he sported a flat look of his own. "Its not like I'm asking you to wave it around or wear it alright? Just take it." Obviously this whole exchange was making him feel uncomfortable.

"Alright. I'll put you out of your misery, but I don't guarantee this is going to help your situation."

"You have my thanks for ridding me of this tacky little thing."

"Its not tacky at all." Ivy disagreed. "Its lovely, you simply speak out of a biased opinion because you harbor unnecessary disdain for the benefactress who provided you with the thoughtful gift." The neko teased him, but she couldn't help but gaze happily at the sparkling bauble, glowing pleasantly with a rosy blush.

"Yeah, well whatever." He uttered, plainly not caring. "When you're as pretty as I am, being nice only gives interested parties the wrong idea." His words touched a nerve in Ivy's thoughts, the images of two young men she cared for entering her mind. She gave a soft sort of sigh internally.

"Keeping a distance. Is not the same as cruelty, I should know." Her tone was somewhat distracted.

"It is if the broad is out of her mind." He responded bluntly.

"True. Aren't we _all_ out of our minds to some degree though?"

"Oh goody. Let's get philosophical." Grey smirked. "You should write a book."

"We'd be arguing all night if we did that. And no… no books. I'd have to use a pen name to hide my gender just so people could read it. I'm not so desperate for recognition to achieve it through being a fake."

Grey gave her an ironic sort of stare. "Lady Durless, I'll just say one thing in that regard. Male or female, author or authoress, diva or gutter rat, I get the feeling you are more than what you pretend to be."

Ivy gave him no response to work with. She just smiled. "Honestly, I'm not remotely so extraordinary, Earl Grey." She watched the Russian Countess fuming and storming off. "I'm not sure you should've endeavored to upset her so much." She added. "That's bad politics."

"I'll deal with it when I have to."

"Also bad politics."

"Good thing I don't really give a shit, considering I'm an attendant and work in the queen's secretarial office."

"Come now. You're also an Earl from a prestigious family lineage. There is even a tea named after you if I'm not mistaken. If that doesn't equate as an honor in British society- haha- I-I… don't know w—what -_**does **_hahahahahaha!" She giggled at the thought. "If you marry a lady surnamed 'Crumpets' or 'Biscuits' I **will **be found dead from laughing so hard that my eyes exploded and my lungs committed suicide due to lack of oxygen."

"I hope this is not you trying to be cute." He drawled referencing to their earlier conversation. Ivy just rolled her eyes.

"No. This is me **being **dazzlingly clever." The neko interrupted without missing a beat.

"You fail."

"Your face fails."

"My Lady." A sharp presence moved along until it stood directly beside the two. Both Grey and Ivy flinched at the sudden appearance. "I apologize for the interruption. The young master would like a word." Oh boy what did she do now? Feeling the awkward need to hide the glittering object in her gloved hands, she moved her arm behind her back. Surveying the now alone boy who sat with his fingers folded under his nose, frowning at her, she sighed. She met Charles gaze and gave him a nod.

"Thank you for the dance, Earl Grey."

"My pleasure." He grinned with a smug sort of look in his silvery eyes. She allowed herself to be led off by the dashing butler whose presence felt rather heavy. Ivy became a bit sour with herself for hiding the little trinket; there hadn't even been any meaning behind it. Still, she slipped it into the clutch she was given, to look at later.

Grey took another champagne flute and watched them leave with a calculating stare. The slightest of smirks tugged at the corner of his mouth. The house of Phantomhive was definitely never a bore if not all likeable. Not a moment too soon his partner, Charles Phipps appeared beside him. The two did not exchange a single word for several long moments as they both observed the pair until they approached the seated boy.

"Well, Grey?" Phipps inquired flatly. "Now that your chaotic whims for this assignment are quite finished, I will have to ask you what you make of it?"

The young Earl tapped his chin thoughtfully. "She is ever the lady and gives me no indication to assume that she is anything other than a cousin of Phantomhive, and a 'Lady of the stage' as they say." His much taller companion gave an unimpressed look.

"And do you believe it?"

"Not for an instant." The younger of the two butlers laughed to himself at the question. "The accounts one hears of her differ quite a bit from my own personal experience actually, just like with the boy. I guess that shouldn't come as a surprise though. Nobody in the house of Phantomhive is ever what they _seem_ to be." At his words, Phipps seemed to agree with him and he nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"What should we tell Her Majesty?" He asked and Grey frowned slightly.

"Whatever the Phantomhive pup may or may not have under his sleeve, its obviously no concern for us, he seems to be juggling the situation quite well… and whatever it might be. It hasn't affected us yet."

"That wouldn't normally make any difference, however, it is an unspoken fact that the boy's priority lies with the orders and sake of Her Majesty the Queen."

"Unless it has anything to do with burning down workhouses filled with children." Grey remarked.

"We shall wait to hear what The Queen has heard from the boy himself in regards to this… 'Lady Durless'. Then give our report."

"Take a load off, Phipps. Have a drink for once."

"I suppose it wont do much harm this time."

….

The rest of the evening had been a bit of a haze for Ivy. She did not think to use a dance card, but the unanimous flurry of curiosity directed her way caused her a great deal of time as so many people approached to mingle with her. This made it difficult to remember the four gentlemen who had asked her that evening since she would not have been able to oblige them immediately. So she had needed to write it down. There were ladies who had even taken her aside to 'chat' about nonsense Ivy didn't particularly care for.

Upon their departure it had only been wise for Ivy to ride in the carriage with Ciel once again. The trio was having an ongoing disagreement in regards to her interaction with Charles Grey. Honestly Ivy could care less considering they only mostly spoke about pointless things. Ciel told her that she had underestimated him and had honestly thought better of her judgment. Still she insisted that he was being ridiculous. Its not like she knew the Earl's deepest darkest sec- oh wait yeah the contract thing- but still their conversation could not have been construed in anyway to reveal anything she knew of that or Ciel's business.

The boy was still cross with her, but he had dozed off already on the seat across from her. Ivy was mildly surprised to note that she had grown accustomed to sitting within the coach's lovely interior. Granted she still felt rather out of place but… it didn't feel like stepping into another world. His small frame leaned against the side of the coach door with his arms folded and his top hat tipping ever so slightly to the right. For once he looked every bit the child he should have been. Ivy's maternal side was uncomfortable with the awkward way at which he was positioned and it made her fingers twitch to lay him more comfortably across the seat before he strained his neck.

Instead she kept to herself, sitting rigidly with her fingers in her lap, primly smoothing out her skirt. He didn't need that sort of concern from her. Still it didn't stop her from removing his hat before it fell. As luck would have it, just as she stooped over and reached out to do so, the carriage jerked over a slight bump in the road, causing the boy to jerk forward and his hat in the opposite direction. It was a comical sight but Ivy couldn't particularly appreciate it, quickly catching him upright by the shoulder. She needed to be keeping her distance, or she could exacerbate his allergies.

Stirring slightly, he nearly woke up but fell back into his slumber. Ivy supposed there was no point in sitting him back up the way he was. Hopefully that slight jump hadn't given the limp boy whiplash. Gingerly she removed the top hat from its discarded position on the seat and eased him down on the velvet plush with her other hand. Then setting it down beside him she moved back to her seat and folded her arms, looking out the window as if nothing had transpired.

She opened her clutch to take a look at the little souvenir she had acquired and took a moment to reflect on the Earl who pushed it onto her. She came to note that though he had at first reminded her of someone, the two were in hindsight actually rather different. A brief image of a sharp-featured little boy holding out his hand with a perpetual sort of grin still on his face fluttered by in her memory. The neko could even imagine that she could still hear him speak.

_'Ha. No worries, you can play with __**me.**__' _

With a sharp intake of air she shook away those memories. The last thing she wanted was to cry here. Among the worst two people to cry in front of. Not too many moments later the carriage pulled to a graceful stop and Sebastian opened the door faster than she'd thought he would. His expression was dull and unreadable until he frowned slightly at the sight of his young master sound asleep and laid out neatly on the seat. Before he looked at her Ivy brushed past him with a hand on his shoulder to balance herself.

"You should probably get him to bed."

….

"A white tiger is a sacred creature in India." Agni remarked, in serious thought. Soma nodded in agreement, his eyes were still misty from the stretched tale Ivy had to weave about her and Betty. Technically the tiger did speak to her and if the pair considered it a vision of destiny then by all means, as long as it got her where she wanted. Honestly she just really couldn't believe that she was doing this. "His Majesty The Raja of Bengal has his own vast reserve for tigers."

"Is that so?" Ivy seemed intrigued.

"Yes." Soma straightened up, ready to regale her with details. "My father takes great pride in his tiger reserves. The white ones have trouble keeping hidden and are very rare so we have only two males. They a favorite target for poachers who seek to kill them for their exotic pelts or sell them off to zoos and circuses." Ivy Ashcroft was new to many things when it came to the opposite sex but one thing she had _always _been aware of was that nothing lets a boy's guard down like talking to a cute, harmless girl. And though the neko couldn't say she was beautiful, she knew she was as cute and non-threatening as they come.

"How novel! And so thoughtful and mindful of your father." She was sure to praise. "Would he be willing to receive Betty on his land seeing as females are scarce?" The tigress was a free spirit, and ensuring that she would be safe from being captured all over again was a necessity. The prince was interested by the idea and Agni seemed to share his enthusiasm.

"We could think of it as a gift to your father." He wished for his master to gain the favor of his family as well as his independence and self-worth. "To ensure him of your growing manhood and independence here in England." Ivy smiled warmly, listening to the utter trust that Agni had for her. The boy's honey gold eyes brightened further.

"It is almost predestined! That settles it! Agni, we will rescue this tigress and send her to Bengal!" He stood proudly with one finger pointing triumphantly toward the sky and the other hand resting on his waist smartly. Ivy crossed her legs on the velvety duvet she was perched upon and sipped her chai tea to hide her grin before responding enthusiastically.

"Capital!"

….

Ivy smoothed out the heavy gown, deciding to head up to her room so she could take the dreadful thing off. She had literally been running around all day and all evening. Now she was finally peeling off her gloves and making her way down the hall. Heaving a sigh, she looked at the egg in her hand once again and wondered in retrospect if she shouldn't have taken it. People could talk and just because he reminded her of someone didn't give her an excuse to be less cautious. Then again people always talked and it wasn't as if she had done anything scandalous. With a huff, the neko girl moved to tuck it away again.

That is until a swift grip caught the wrist that held the little trinket. "My, my… what a pretty little knick knack." Something in Ivy's posture went entirely rigid and her ears flattened. A gloved hand drew the little Faberge egg from her now bare fingers. She blinked in surprise as he examined it up in the light. "I wonder who could be so generous as to bestow it on a complete stranger… a lady in fact." His tone stated that he obviously knew whom it was Ivy received it from.

"Please Sebastian. Not now…" She sighed wearily, reaching for it. He drew it back from her reach with a deep-seated frown. The half-ling blinked in astonishment. "What is your problem?"

"I have no problem, but you apparently do if you agreed to take such an obviously expensive token from a strange gentlemen in plain view." He tucked it away into his jacket and Ivy got the distinct impression that she would probably never see it again among all of his inter-dimensional pocket loot. Rosy lips parted in outrage for his lack of concern over her choices and property.

"If you even had the slightest hint of a brain, you'd see that he was desperate to get rid of it, and I thought it was too pretty to just throw away. Give it back!" She tried to grab it again and he moved it away once more.

"Is it important to you then?"

"I fail to see how what I did could affect the Earl's already shady reputation anyway! I didn't even _do _anything!" Her heels echoed against the floor. "There is no point in confiscating it at this point in time either!" Sebastian looked unimpressed and folded his arms rather staunchly. Ivy hated feeling attacked like this. Taking a few deep breaths she forced herself to calm down before she started screaming her head off.

"Okay…what exactly did I do that was so horrible? I must understand."

"Did you know that Charles Grey does not like to dance?"

Now she huffed. "Should that bother me? Obviously he was doing his job, he and Phipps kept an eye on me all night, and he was trying to manipulate the interlude so that I would give something away. He doesn't scare me, Sebastian."

The butler's posture seemed to almost grow. "If you paid attention to anything I told you about him before, you would've been aware that he leaves the parts of their assignments that he finds unpleasant or dull to his partner Phipps." Ivy's memory flashed back to the surprised disapproval on the taller attendant's face when Grey had begun to converse with her. Had they originally agreed that Phipps would talk to her? Then she recalled his words: _I wasn't interested in talking to you but I guess your okay… for a fat ass. _Now she just frowned at exactly what Sebastian was trying to imply. That had nothing at all to do with her behavior.

"So he _wanted _to dance with me. I fail to see where I went wrong either way."

"Just tell me this one thing, Miss Ivy. Was it before or after he had his hands all over you that you decided you would completely break character?" And now Ivy found herself completely dumbstruck with indignation, mouth slightly parted. The only reason she did not outright shatter the nearest bust against his face was because he had been right. She had made the mistake of acting more like herself because Grey had been so very honest with her.

"It was stupid of me, yes but we can't all be perfect like you. And I would appreciate it if you didn't make such outrageous exaggerations. His hands were **not **'all over me' we were _dancing- _in fact what the fuck business is it of yours whether they had been or not!" She suddenly realized halfway through her own statement. Her ire quickly began to rise at the hypocrisy of his reaction. "Even if he had touched me inappropriately –which he _didn't!- _you wouldn't have had a right to dictate whether I allowed it or NOT! In which case we both know that I would have made him eat his own sword and asked him if he was still hungry afterwards! HOW DARE YOU IMPLY THAT I WAS BEHAVING TOO INTIMATELY WITH A MAN I JUST MET!"

"Lower your voice this instant."

"_This is your fault so if I shout, you _DEAL WITH IT!" She poked him in the chest. The demon butler rolled his eyes as she continued her tangent. "And how dare you think my interaction with him was within your grounds to fume at me-"

"I merely made an observation. It was you who assumed that I was implying anything; I simply fail to understand how, after I worked so hard with you, that you simply threw away the persona you were to hold to."

"It wasn't a big-!"

"And whether you with to acknowledge it or not, Earl Grey was obviously over-stepping his bounds. You being sensible in many things still fail to realize this."

"Why on earth would he do a thing like that?" Ivy rolled her eyes and tried to brush past him but he caught her upper arm in his grasp. The abruptness in his action startled her.

"Other than to show that he could get away with it? –By the way that he was looking at the young master and I that much is confirmed as far as we are concerned- He loves power plays. That and contrary to what you apparently perceive, you are a beautiful girl." At his words Ivy stopped tugging at her arm and looked him in the eye, stunned into muteness.

"I'm…" She couldn't manage to get the rest out, or even think about what exactly she wanted to say to him.

_What? _The neko went over memories and other assorted happenings in her life and recalled that nobody had ever called her beautiful before. Everybody thought she was cute or pretty but never once had she been _beautiful _before. Her first instinct was not to believe it. She stared up at him and he didn't particularly seem to realize what he'd done to muddle her so suddenly. Then came a more alarming realization; Sebastian never said anything he didn't mean when he was angry. She had seen him flatter and manipulate his way in many situations, even against her, but never when he was cross with her. So he thought she was beautiful? _Why? _

All of this confusion was upsetting her. "Please… this isn't fair. I didn't think something so stupid would snowball into such a cluster fuck Sebastian!"

"Perhaps not but your behavior has caused us a potential string of inconveniences." His tone dripped with disapproval. Ivy clasped her hands awkwardly and glared down at the floor. "What will you do, now that you've deemed yourself of interest to him, if he decides to visit you regularly? That would be a major inconvenience all variables considered." She just pursed her lips into a tight line. Damn him.

"How dare you criticize the way I socialize? How _**dare **_you imply that my conduct with the Earl was inappropriate beyond the fact that I broke my character once or twice!"

"Oh? Then I suppose I can dispose of this." He held up the little egg by its dainty gold chain. "This is not a typical Faberge egg design…it looks as though somebody put a lot of thought into it and even customized it…and every gem is genuine." Observant dark eyes examined the bauble with some disdain. "Why did he give this to you?"

"Um maybe because he didn't want it?" She huffed at his unimpressed frown. "Okay. I am not really comfortable with giving out information on someone's personal life just like that, especially since I don't owe you any explanation. Give it back please." When she grabbed for it he drew it away again.

"Ah. Then your suitor's little token _is _of some importance to you then." His grin seemed rather nasty but Ivy was more focused on his words. The acute pressure in the center of her gut began to intensify. Was it such a crime to secretly want to own something so pretty? What truly felt like a crime to her was the hypocrisy of this whole thing.

"Sui-! I _TOLD _YOU-!"

"I don't particularly care about Earl Grey's personal life, but you are being surprisingly evasive for his sake about this little keepsake here." His interruption felt like such a grave injustice in this particular situation that her jaw trembled and she shut her eyes tightly trying not to explode.

"OH FOR GOODNESS SAKE! WE WERE TALKING ABOUT_ CAKE _PRACTICALLY THE WHOLE TIME;_ I_ WASN'T LURING HIM INTO A SPARE ROOM AND STICKING MY HAND DOWN HIS PANTS! YOU THINK ABOUT _THAT _BEFORE YOU START POINTING FINGERS AT _ME_!" Her eyes stung and she almost choked. This was much worse then feeling ashamed. This was feeling hurt and misjudged…because of someone who shouldn't even matter enough to cause it. She felt stupid and helpless; he had a knack for making her feel that way.

The demon was suddenly silent with eyes that seemed to stare right through her as if the wheels in his mind came to a stop suddenly and then buzzed back to life with a new speed in another direction. Like his mind was suddenly making other connections. Ivy realized what she had just admitted to. "…Keep the stupid egg." She stormed off, now furious at herself.

"Does that mean-?"

"NO! I'M GOING TO BED, MISTER MICHAELIS!" She was unable to miss the suddenly very pleased grin on the demon's face. Good thing he knew better than to follow after her at this point. The neko vanished down the halls as quickly as was physically possible for her, trapped within her own mortification.

The butler on the other hand was surprised and rather pleased. "Serendipitous indeed." He swung the egg on its golden chain curiously, watching it glitter in the dim light. "Hm." He hummed dismissively at it before a gloved hand then stuffed it into his pocket. No need to bother with that.

….

Ivy slammed the door to her room and flung herself miserably onto her mattress. She ignored the way the horrid whalebone corset pinched at her sides from her angle. Her eyes burned furiously but she hated crying so she didn't. Instead her lips trembled and her eyes became glassy. Her face felt warm both from the effort and from humiliation that she had let those words slip so carelessly. The neko could have torn her own tongue out. It was a _miracle _that he hadn't instantly taken advantage of the situation. The cats still in her room were mildly startled by her sudden entrance and all wandered about her warily now, sniffing at her form.

With a sigh, Ivy rolled over gently and pulled a concerned little Tinsel to her chest. "It's all right, love. I'm sorry." They then began to each trickle in to snuggle her and she smiled slightly. Ugh it was so restrictive in this horrible place, Ivy was starting to feel claustrophobic. 'I want to go.' She thought wistfully, knowing it was foolishness. Looking out the window into the inviting cool color of night and even though she knew it was probably freezing outside, the fresh would be better than this constricting room. With a tired breath she sat up and looked out into the garden for a bit before walking to stand at the sill.

It was late, so late…and it was so dark but Ivy couldn't bring herself to care as she pushed open to glass to stick her head out the window and take a relieving breath. Her warm face began to cool considerably from the indignant flush that still permeated through her cheeks and behind her eyes. Her face softened and she let her hair loose so it could be moved in the chilly breeze. There may be no way that she would or could just leave but… just walking around was not impermissible. There was a knock at her bedroom door that startled her out of her thought process. A thought or two had her fearing that it was Sebastian, surely only he could be up this late…but it had been far too gentle…almost timid.

Sensing the presence it was obviously Maylene, but she would ask anyway, just so she didn't scare her. "Who is it?" She asked gently, trying not to let her voice shake emotively.

"U-um…M-m… its Maylene." The neko shut the window and turned to the cats, grateful that they could understand her. Round eyes watching her attentively.

"All right, everybody hide." She murmured softly and they scattered about and rejoined their mother under the bed. Silent as a ghost she practically wafted to the door and allowed it to creek open, taking a look at the bespectacled maid. "Maylene, whatever are you doing awake?" She asked genuinely taken aback. Her fellow maid's cheeks darkened and she wrung her pale hands. Her red hair was also left loose and she was wearing her nightgown. Ivy patiently waited for her to speak and as May shifted her feet awkwardly she finally spoke.

"I-I…I heard shouting down the hall, I did." Her voiced sounded surprisingly subdued and her gaze lowered. With realization Ivy felt her chest drop and she instantly opened the door completely. Maylene blinked in mild surprise that Ivy still hadn't changed.

"My big mouth woke you up. I'm so sorry." Now Ivy's voice was somewhat subdued. "Did I wake anybody else?" Maylene just shook her head. There was a moment of silence between them and Ivy's eyes narrowed with concern. The other maid let out a breath. Now the neko was shifting awkwardly before speaking up. "…You didn't hear anything we said did you?" The red haired maid quickly looked up and shook her head no as if worried that Ivy might think she had been eavesdropping.

"I-it was far to muffled to really make anything out, it was!" At this, the ravenette's shoulders slumped in relief. More silence.

"…Did…did you want to talk about something now that you're awake?" Ivy asked, hugging herself a little bit.

"It _is _rather chilly out in the hall." Maylene reasoned aloud, touching her hair self-consciously. The Halfling move aside gracefully with a small smile of assurance. The other maid fiddled with her glasses and entered past her, the door closing behind them.

"I'm very sorry I disturbed you." Ivy huffed in self-admonishment. The maid shook her head as if to say it was fine and she fiddled with her glasses again. "Come on, let's sit." The two of them sat on the edge of her bed. After a moment, Maylene seemed to have gained enough courage to voice what was on her mind.

"What happened to make him so angry at you-I mean well…the other way around too…but… I heard you almost cry and I got worried-"

"It's really nothing new. I'm just tired of him so we - well _I _blew up at him for treating me like an idiot." Ivy didn't want to think about this.

"But I've never heard him use that kind of tone with you before."

Ivy blinked but just shook her head. "He thinks I'm stupid, and I suppose I was not as careful as I should have been at the ball but I had no other way of directing the conversation without somewhat being myself, its j-" She cut herself off, not sure how much Watchdog work could be mentioned to the servants. "Sebastian Michaelis hurt my feelings, because I hurt his vanity with my actions. He somehow thinks he has a say in who I talk to and how I choose to do so. It's just that I was reminded of someone who meant quite a bit to me as a child. When I contradicted him he mildly implies that I'm easy." Maylene seemed to wilt further at her words.

"I'm sure he has no idea."

"You may be right, he doesn't _have _feelings so what would he know?" Ivy grumbled hotly, running her fingers through dark hair.

"I-I'm serious." Maylene traced patterns on the wool blanket beside her. "…I'm surprised he could even find fault with you."

Green eyes gazed at nothing in particular as the neko smiled wryly to herself. Sebastian not finding fault in something? Preposterous. "You'd be surprised." She just shrugged shoulders. "Sometimes I'm certain he looks at me like I'm a troublesome child under his watch. And then sometimes it was almost like he genuinely thought me admirable and even a little pretty from time to time-" Suddenly Maylene piped in.

"He thinks you're _beautiful_." She corrected.

Ivy was startled into silence. Had she…? "How did you-?"

"Of _course _he does…" She breathed and folded her arms lightly in her lap, toying with her long white sleeves. Ivy's attention was suddenly drawn all at once to her human friend. Maylene's dark eyes stared down at her lap. "Any girl would feel like she was the most beautiful creature alive if he-…if he glanced at them for a second the way he _always, __**always **_looks at you." The neko became troubled, Maylene didn't understand who he was and had developed deep feelings that Ivy had not realized were there. Moved to pity, Ivy scooched so that she now sat on her folded legs and faced her. "I thought-" Maylene choked with trembling lips. "-I _thought_-"

"Maylene. I had no idea you felt so strongly. I thought your interest was external." The neko gently took her glasses and placed them neatly on her nightstand to reveal her shining eyes, red rimmed. "I suppose there isn't anything I can say in regards to how you feel, but I promise he is not worth such feelings and he can't hope to understand them, or anybody's." She made it a point not to think about what she had said. She had never really seen the way he watched her and if Maylene had perceived it in such a manner, Ivy was terrified to see it. It would mean he had a personal interest in Ivy that she most likely did not want. She couldn't think of any option that didn't make her want to run away that very night.

"I-it doesn't matter." Maylene tried to say dismissively through a shaking voice, her shoulders could be seen trembling. "One-sided feelings are obsolete anyway, they are."

Ivy never wanted to be in her position, to love someone whose nature couldn't comprehend or return something so human. It made her heart ache and so she reached for the maid and held her close as she very suddenly started to cry. It wasn't the loud way she wailed when she made a mistake, it was silent as if she wanted to hide it. Ivy could relate; she _always _wanted to disappear when she cried. Her eyes watered. "Please stop." She whispered soothingly. "Your feelings are **always **important, do you understand? **He **is obsolete."

"_He's perfect_." She shook her head.

"Perfect is an illusion, and illusions are dangerous. If perfect even existed, you couldn't find it in the form of Sebastian Michaelis."

"_Do you hate him?" _Maylene calmed herself slightly to look at her.

"No." She said almost as if in realization. "Not really. I just have a pretty good idea what he really is. If you did, you probably wouldn't like him all that much." She scrunched her face. No, he wasn't someone Maylene would like as a general rule, he was too serious and exacting. Maylene required patience and comfort. And if Sebastian ever had someone it would have to be someone who adamantly insists on what she wants for the sake of her own happiness.

Maylene realized that Ivy was right in the idea that she probably didn't know the butler closely enough to have an image of him in her mind. He kept to himself far too much for that these past two years. "Can I stay here?"

"Of course." The Halfling nodded, thinking to herself. No. Ivy didn't hate him…even though she should've.

The two of them were silent for a moment or two.

"What happened to them?" Maylene asked quietly. The neko blinked in confusion. "You said you were reminded of someone who meant a lot to you…who were they?" Ivy had to answer carefully as to not reveal or leave room for dangerous questions. "A boy I knew…"

"What happened to him?" Thinking about it Ivy decided there wasn't a problem in telling her. As long as it was vague.

"He died. Protecting me."

"From what?"

"A monster." Having a rather dark backstory of her own. Maylene understood the need for silence on the topic.

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"Goodnight May." Ivy smiled simply in response. The other maid had dozed off quicker than expected. So Ivy was once again left to her own devices and moved to sit on the windowsill. Then she felt something and her posture stiffened, mind working to identify the new presence. It quickly clicked. Scurrying to the window she frowned into the view outside discerningly. "A sprite?" She whispered. "What sprite would be stupid enough to come _here_?" There was nobody else out there. Odd. Or perhaps anybody else there were concealing themselves, but nekos didn't work with other species, only her mother ever did that.

A sprite was not dangerous to a half-breed. She could handle one fairly easily. Opening the window she pursed her lips and looked back and forth. There was nothing…except for the sudden dark figure seated atop a thin branch in the lotus position. "A kitsune?" She spoke aloud, knowing that he obviously knew she was there. Sharp fox eyes glowed to life under their loose flowing hood. "What is one of your kind doing alone on such perilous turf?" Those eyes smiled at her.

"Being hopeful for a stroke of luck." He murmured.

"No luck in a place like this." She shook her head.

"I disagree." Ivy weighed her options. It would be stupid to attack him now with Maylene right there sound asleep, but she was not sure if Sebastian might or might not be able to catch him. Sprites were lighter on their feet than even nekos and could vanish easily; then again it _was_ Sebastian. She had a hard time believing that there was anything he couldn't do at this rate. But if she called him, this creature would be gone before he arrived.

"Who are you?" She spoke tersely.

"A squirrel."

She grabbed hold of a revolver and pointed but he was gone when she turned to look back at him. Blinking in astonishment, Ivy grumbled and shut her window cautiously. Putting the weapon away. Placing her hands on her hips, she debated going to Sebastian but it wouldn't do much good, besides she would probably feel better talking to him in the morning. Great now it was cold in here.

Author's Note: Okay so I took real long with this one cause I really wasn't sure I was satisfied with it. Looking back on my other chapters that I wasn't sure about, I don't know what exactly my problem was with them. Anyway I hope I wrote Grey okay, and Maylene too. But mostly the argument between Sebastian and Ivy…that is my major problem. If anybody has anything to say about that please let me know cause I was stumped for a long time with it. Anyway hope you guys enjoyed it. Ciao!

Special Mention to my wonderful bestie and muse, Momo. 3 Love that lady! And if it weren't for her I would have taken even longer to get this out of here so be sure to marinate in the gratitude for a while xD lol. Ciao again!


	37. That Maid, Of Interest

Author's Note: Hello again. Some fun now eh? So I hope you guys enjoyed that last chapter because the time has come the walrus said for a new one. Thanks for the feedback, I'm totally madly in love with you guys. Marry me, just kidding, that's creepy even for me. I forgot to thank everybody who reviewed in my last chapter. YOU GUYS ARE EPIC! I'm Queen of the woooorld! ***Gets pushed off the mast of my imaginary ship by random passerby*** More shall be revealed in this chapter. FINALLY that last manga arc is over -_-' I thought it would never end. Whoo! COOKIES AND TREATS ABOUND!

P.S. The demon records of the two swords is told in the narrative of both Jet and Cavin.

_**Bold **_= Cavin

_Italics _= Jet

Disclaimer: So far no threats in the mail, or in my e-mail. I'M NOT SCHEDULED TO DIE FOR QUITE SOME TIME! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME BEFORE I CAN PUBLISH LIKE THOMAS! I swear I'm not claiming Yana's work! I own nothing! NOTHING I TELL YOU! -**Weeping**- Being kept on bread and water for taking so long to update that last time. At least its not a ball gag.

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: That Maid, Of Interest**

"_Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live." – _Marcus Aurelius

Once upon a time, there were forged two swords. You see, long ago in the dark ages of Europe a mighty half-breed lived. His mother was a princess, his father -the Djinn- thought of nothing but the novelty of having a human pet. Though he was powerful, the half-breed was not a creature of force, but of knowledge. He had a hunger to learn many sciences, and crafts. So he traversed the land in search of such things. Many humans thought him a witch, but he supposed it was better than what he truly was and so he would just laugh at the thought. There would be very little anybody could do about it either way.

Then it so happened that in the land he traversed, the king of the mortals in that realm was killed. He took it upon himself to help, thinking it could hurt nothing. The creature shut himself away in search of solutions. They would not have outright accepted his aide but the constant chaos and quarrelling was nuisance to his studying. One day however an odd sort of problem began to manifest itself. As he locked himself away he had begun forging a weapon. A sword. The sort of sword that only a mighty half-breed could produce.

This sword was a sword of light and power. In the form of the sturdy broad sword. It could only be wielded by one with a fearsome and worthy heart. He called this sword, 'Battle Hard' for it was strong and unmovable in its essence. Someday he vowed that he would meet a worthy ruler for the land and when he did, this weapon would know he was the right one, and he would bestow to him this mighty blade. Once it was so, no man would stand in his path that could not be cut down at this wielders order. But an unforeseen side effect of his forging this sword began to manifest itself.

In order for the sword to have become something noble and light a bit of the half breed's essence needed to be sacrificed. A bit of his light, human side had been devoured. The normal human food that he once enjoyed became like ash in his mouth. It was apparent that it was now useless to him. Greatly disturbed he hid himself away pouring over the great many books in his possession. In order to rebalance the light and the dark within him, another sword needed to be forged. This one however, would have to be dark and insidious. The very idea of this sort of weapon existing made the desperate Halfling tremble but it was either create it, or be consumed with hunger, thus eventually be subject to deceiving and living off the despair of humans. He had no desire to be thus bound, with no time to study, only to hunt for contractor after contractor. What a dreadfully empty existence.

A choice was then made in the dark of his study. He would create this sword but it would be kept away from the human world, where it could corrupt none. He knew not if it could choose a wielder… but certainly no human was capable. What sort of being could handle the touch of it? He made this weapon in a different fashion. It was long and narrow with a slight curve but with such power that it could rip through any armor. It took the form of an impressively sizable katana. And he called it 'Sirocco' for it was subtle, moveable, but with swift and decisive force. Like the wind. Surely this sword could have no wielder but the most steady and unshakable in heart.

Whether or not his efforts at aiding himself worked, is unknown. However, stories say that it was many years later that he was seen again by the people. At the side of a steely eyed thirteen-year-old stable boy. One who wielded a sword that would soon make him king. Until, that is, many, many decades later. After he ruled an orderly and peaceful kingdom, he vanished, as did his faithful older companion. Neither were to be seen again, it was said by the hopeful people however, that one day their noble ruler would return. When the land again needed him the most.

Neither of the marvelous 'not-so-twin' swords was ever seen again. There are those beyond human however, who know what became of them.

….

"_Once upon a time, there were two forged swords. One out of honor and light; the other out of hunger and darkness. In a world where humans could not enter were these weapons kept under guard."_

_**"It is said that a mighty djinn, handed these weapons over to the demon elders of our clan many, many years ago for their safe keeping and wise management." **_

_ "The four clan leaders readily accepted, being great forgers and lovers of weaponry, but it was clear that only the wisest and most formidable of the clans could be chosen to keep each separately safe-guarded." _

_**"Dark Sirocco was grasping and hungry. He could go only to the most cunning, wise, and energetic of the leaders. So that his hunger could not control them. Two families were chosen and the most cunning of the families received the dark sword." **_

_ "The two swords were divided this way between these two most prominent families of the clan and to remind them of this day they were given new names. Names from the west, where these swords were born. And a glorious rivalry was born." _

_**"Ah but the once glorious rivalry soured. One of the families grew proud and used the sword given to them to gain fame and strike fear into the hearts of others. The unmovable sword of light, the one Battle Hard became sick of unworthy handlers." **_

_ "The wisest of the families rather than warn them, were curious to see what would be the result of their arrogance."_

_**"Then it happened. A dispute occurred between some within one of the lesser families. A Halfling had been born, and its mother was somehow suddenly refusing to allow the thing to be properly disposed of." **_

_ "In indignation for the wretch's gall, the leader who wielded Battle Hard rose to strike her down with the weapon, but the honorable weapon sensed the human in the child and instead backfired at this last straw. The elder lost his arm to the otherworldly blade."_

_** "True to having a cruel sense of humor, the other demon elder, wielding darkness, began to laugh at his arrogance. For constantly over using and abusing a weapon of light for personal glory."**_

_ "The weapon was no longer touchable. It had to be removed. Just as the bearer of these blades had forewarned would happen if they were not 'wise'." _

_**"Seeing what had happened to their fellow clansmen. A tradition was begun. Rather than allow the sword Sirocco to make one creature among them sick with pride and stupidity, they would pass it on to a worthy one among their offspring each 'generation'." **_

_ "The other stricken clan grew bitter over what happened that day, they grew to hate the family that had laughed at their leader's expense."_

_**"They became sick with envy that they still wielded a mighty weapon while they suffered humiliation."**_

_ "A hatred steadily grew between the two that never ever completely abated. Bercarius and Ashcroft would forever be locked in a deep seated grudge against one another." _

_**"And neither would care to end the cycle"**_

…_._

It was unnaturally silent in the lower floor, where the servants of the Phantomhive manor sluggishly went about their chores. It had been a while since Mister Sebastian had last scolded them. Ivy had always been fairly decent at helping them avoid the major lectures and punishments. With her their mistakes had a bit of a buffer, but now that she was missing they were hesitant to do the usual risky tasks. Maylene however was more concerned about the ominously darkening sky. Hopefully she would return on time, before the rain made it unsafe. Unable to help herself, she peered out the window for what seemed like the hundredth time. A soft sigh broke the silence in the room before she spoke.

"I can't relax with this kind of weather." The linens had practically just been hung out to dry…this could not be good. "It'd be better if it waited until the washing has dried." Not that, that was likely to happen, but saying it out loud helped somewhat. Bard, who sat behind her peeling potatoes, sucked his teeth loudly with disdain after glancing briefly up from his task to see the clouds.

"Tch! Geez, this country really has nothing but stormy weather." He sat up slightly and began to gesture with his knife while he spoke. "If this heavy weather is all that keeps turning up out there, I'm gonna get all gloomy." This was nothing like in the states. Neither of them could hear the swift slashing of a sword slicing clean through wood. So naturally they nearly leapt out of their skin at the sudden clamor of an impetuous kick that bashed open the now broken door. Wooden splinters and the sliced parts of the door flew around them and porcelain plates and jars all shook on their shelves from the impact. The fighter's instinct in the two Phantomhive servants was awakened.

The clop of footsteps sounded just outside the entrance.

"Incoming!" Came the tickled voice of the invasive perpetrator. "Is Earl Phantomhive in?" The young man asked with a smile as if he hadn't demolished the side entrance. He clutched his sword in a black-gloved hand and walked with a confident air regardless of his slender build. Obviously this guy was the type who liked to be large and in charge. Bard was pretty sure by the smug gleam in the guy's grey irises that he was also an incurable prick. Without hesitation he had his peeling knife at the ready.

"Who the hell are you?" He almost snarled, keeping a straight face as he stepped in front of Maylene. The latter mentioned was staring with steely fixation on both men who had entered. His friend almost reminded her of Bard if not for the straight laced clean cut and well shaven face. She guessed he was also probably a bit taller than the head chef, and he had a mole. The smaller of the two just smiled in amusement at their demeanor as if they had given him exactly what he wanted.

"What?" His tone was innocent but his grin certainly wasn't. "You'll play with…" And as he swung his blade with unanticipated speed Bard and Maylene barely dodged. "…_**Me?**_" His swing emphasized his words as he spoke, with an almost manic shine in his eyes. Bard could barely regain his head before with the nimbleness of a dancer, the nameless swordsman tried to remove it from his shoulders. The unforgiving pounding of many bullets interrupted his progress however and he had to jump back. Agile little fuck dodged a bullet.

Maylene was crouched gracefully with her glasses on her head, guns still blazing. The swordsman just gave an impressed laugh at the fierceness in her demeanor. His platinum hair whipped about from his quick graceful movements. Bard hung back waiting for an opening so that he didn't accidentally cut May. "Wow!" Grey commended as his companion stood stock still and expressionless by the entrance. "Double guns are so cool~!" It was like a kid in a candy store. Maylene was unimpressed with his apparent approval. If only he could hold still just long enough.

"But…" He trailed dancing his way over to her in spite of the risk. The gun-slinging maid could only stare in numb surprise as he revolvers were split like a banana by the blade of such a simple looking sword. "I win at close combat." His voice came from behind her, startling her back into her right mind. Too late, now there was only time to turn and watch him come at her with his blade at the ready. It was then that the ominous presence of Bard was behind her assailant with knife in hand.

"It really is-…" He trailed, barely avoiding the swipe that was made at his neck by the experienced war vet.

"…-A shame." A single push off the floor and he was airborne, his foot barreling brutally into the maid's center. Is this what seeing stars felt like?

"GHACK!" She choked on her own bile and worried that she might have bleed from the mouth. Her glasses flew off of her head as he pushed off of her to flip through the air and over the angry cook. Maylene hit the floor completely breathless. His eyes met Bard with a lazy smugness as he did so.

"Too bad." He mock lamented. The stranger's slender arm thrust the blade forward toward Bard's unguarded face. This was it. Nothing to be done to stop the oncoming weapon. However, nothing really ever goes the way you would expect it to in the Phantomhive manor. That much was proven when in a burst of inhuman speed, the blur of a butler in black announced itself, wielding naught but a silver hors d'oeuvres tray to shove the metallic weapon off of its course. One of the treats was impaled on the sword and smeared against the ex-soldier's cheek. All of this within a split-second? Bard could hardly believe it, as was evident in his awestruck blue gaze.

Sebastian did his best to ignore the irreparable door, and gave a winning smile as Charles Grey got back to his feet from the crouch he had landed in. Predictably his eyes instantly zeroed in on the snack that was now stabbed onto his sword.

"It is a custard choux cream made from the eggs of our own Phantomhive estates poultry. Please take a bite." The butler played his part flawlessly in front of the other two dumbstruck servants. It was clear to him that Grey was not fond of faking pleasantries since he remained silent, but he could never say no to food. He had him there, and thus order was maintained. Taking a bite, the queen's rowdy attendant could be seen smiling, but he wouldn't be caught dead complimenting the wretched butler of the Phantombrat.

"Hmmm. So-so, I guess." In the meantime he never bothered to apologize as his partner aided Maylene to her feet. She didn't seem sure who exactly was helping her up. "I'd say near the lowest passing mark?" Bard had, had it way up to here with this guy, and regained his voice, beside himself with indignation.

"Hey! Sebastian!" He protested. "What the hell are these guys?" Phipps stood in the background aiding Maylene to adjust her glasses. Sebastian did not give the head chef the withering look he would have liked to and proceeded to explain.

"These two are-"

"Oh yeah, we haven't met you guys before." Once again, Earl Grey proved himself an insect. He sheathed his sword, licking his lips. It was obvious that he'd enjoyed annoying the butler. "My name is Charles Grey." One would think he was introducing himself as their worst nightmare. His partner, less aggravating, finally spoke up. His deep voice was more soft-spoken then Maylene and Bard had expected.

"My name is Charles Phipps." After this it didn't seem like he was interested in doing the talking, even though he probably should have, what with the way his partner ran his mouth in such an uncouth manner.

"We're codenamed, 'Double Charles'; Her Majesty the Queen's private secretarial officers, and butlers. Nice to meet you." They moved to stand beside one another. With a wink and a cheeky smile, Grey held up a crisp envelope between his fingers. "Today we are…mmm…the messengers here delivering a letter to the Earl."

….

"I was under the impression that the Noah's Arc Circus was going under after the main performers left the show." She stood at her full height, making sure to look as dainty and sweet as she could. "You have a great deal more cooperative tigers here. This one seems rather unmanageable under your care." Ivy reasoned simply. The large amateur performer frowned sourly at the implication. 'Under_ my _care, eh?' He thought eyeing the dainty slip of a thing with more than a little disdain.

Primp and tidy as a shiny new pocket watch she was…and just as pretty. There she stood, looking for all the world like she'd never done a lick of work in her life. There she stood, sticking out among the rough company of handlers and street urchins just like those cream ribbons did against her dark hair. Not the least bit frightened, how dare the likes of her question whether or not a work hardened man like him did a good job or not? What could she possibly understand about it? And that tall brown binder she had with her just kept smiling like a right fool next to her.

"It's a tiger, Miss. They're all ferocious." He uttered with a touch of impatience and passive aggressiveness in voice. Duh. In that brief instant he saw something in the girl's eyes flash, before it was gone in an instant.

"Ferocity." She murmured sweetly tapping her lip thoughtfully. "I suppose you are right. Ferocity is a key element in a true predator is it not?" What sort of Lady talked like this about such things? "However, ferocity and manageability are two separate things altogether. I was commenting on how unmanageable she seems to be here. Though that comes as no surprise. You've kept a large beast like her, built to hunt on the spacious grounds of the east, in a cage barely big enough for her to pace in. How do you expect her to burn off energy? Of _course _she would be agitated and temperamental."

"And you think you can do better, girl?" He asked, unable to keep all the sharpness in his tone at bay. "Where would you keep such a beast in a place like this?"

"You've struck my point squarely on the nose good sir! You haven't sufficient funds to support this manner of tiger. Why not simply sell?" She reasoned chirpily. Now the burly circus man realized that this chit had verbally herded him like a cow right to where she wanted him. This led to a deep-seated sort of stubbornness now. Large arms folded over his chest and he towered over her.

"It ain't my tiger to sell." Noting his demeanor, the dot knot she'd brought with her suddenly wasn't smiling anymore. He had also straightened up and moved closer to her side.

"The owners are gone." She stated matter-of-factly, not moved in the least bit by his body language. "And The Twenty-sixth Prince of Bengal is willing to pay a fair price for this tiger." There was no malice in her voice, only negotiation. Still he didn't much like doing business with a woman and a fig gobbler. Narrowing his eyes he raised an eyebrow at her, warily watching the dark skinned servant with her. Now that he got a look at the suddenly imposing looking man, he realized that he'd better tread carefully. This guy had _some stuff_ to him.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" He would definitely not lose face now.

"Not at all. You simply struck me as a man of sense." She smiled. "You could make a good profit if you sold us the tiger and there would be less of a risk that you lose a limb to her d-"

"Look girl. I already told you why I can't-"

"They aren't returning clearly and I can't stand to see her chained in such a small enclosure. If you can call that shoe box you keep her in an enclosure that is." Obviously he was getting irritated but the young Lady made no move to relent.

"What does a highborn priss like you want with a tiger?" He demanded, pulling the propriety card.

"Nothing at all. She is to be a gift for the Maharaja of Bengal, I am here to identify her to the Prince's servant, Agni." She motioned to the man beside her politely. "She is clearly unmanageable enough when your animal tamer is present according to your…colleagues. Never mind now-"

"Then why not get her to jump yourself?" Green eyes flashed with disdain at his rude interruption but rather than snap at him, she calmly gave Agni a nod before looking at him.

"Very well. I'm prepared to offer you an ultimatum." She primly folded her arms. "I'll get the tiger to cooperate with me: If I can't then, the Prince's attendant and I will drop the subject and leave without trouble." Agni looked troubled and opened his mouth but Ivy was quick to continue. "But if I can, you'll give me the tiger. Free of charge." She must have been utterly insane. Regardless however, he was a gambling man, and this sounded like a good idea. It would really be amazing to see something like that work out within just five minutes of meeting the giant cat. Her companion did not look so confident in her proposal either.

"We have a deal, milady." Suddenly he grinned with an excited sportsmanlike sort of air. It was returned with a serene sort of Mona Lisa smile from the little lady. She gave him a gracious little nod before turning to the mildly protesting Indian who stood beside her.

"Trust me. Please hold this for me, Agni." She handed him her parasol. Once again she looked to the burly animal keeper. A large man by default, he could've been a bare-knuckle boxer. "Thank you for the opportunity. You should probably steer clear of the tigress, she doesn't seem fond of you."

"Do you need us to move the cage into the ring." He raised a black eyebrow and folded his arms again rather smugly. His bushy beard smiled along with him. The little ravenette shook her head.

"No that won't be necessary, but I _would _be very grateful if you would give me the keys and find a safe spot just in case." Large green eyes smiled and glowed enigmatically at him. Before he could protest such a foolhardy implication she had brushed past him, lighter on her feet than a fluffy down feather. The tell tale jingle of his keys startled him.

"What the-!"

"Hello, Betty." Ivy spoke softly as she boldly curled her fingers over the bars. The tiger didn't seem to know just what to make of it. She'd never seen this creature before but she certainly knew that smell and that voice. Round ears perked up and she stared with deep interest with her intense rounded eyes, growling low. She stood on all fours and the large man almost interfered but Agni blocked his path. "Don't tell me you've forgotten my promise." She continued, careful not to allow the two men to hear. The tiger tilted her head with further recognition. "Betty really is an unfitting name for you." She gave a quirk of her lips and instantly the tiger settled, sitting on her hind legs.

"Wonderful!" The neko smiled, happy that she accepted who she was.

_"The manor pet?" _Betty sounded completely thrown for a loop. Ivy responded with a nod and slowly reached her hand into the cage. Betty lowered her large head down under her palm. _"So this is what you really are." _Meanwhile two human men stared in amazement at the suddenly docile beast.

"I said I would help you, tigress." The young halfling whispered. "You are going back to Bengal." She could see the disbelief and hopefulness in the tiger's eyes. "First you will have to cooperate with me. Just for now will you do as I say?" Looking about the tiger, thumped her tail, swishing the appendage back and forth as she assessed the situation. "I promised that I would come back and I did. So I also promise to protect you." Proudly, Betty straightened up and groomed herself a bit.

_"Hm. Very well then. What must be done?" _

'Score.'

….

"She's not here, you know." Ciel suddenly informed as he sat in the parlor room entertaining the queen's attendants. The boy sat sipping tea from a dainty china cup with an equally dainty saucer of sugar cubes sitting on the table before him. At first Grey was not sure he heard the boy correctly and so he met his eyes briefly and frowned. Placing the cup down he cleared his throat as if to elaborate while the butler just silently moved to refill the cup. "I was just taking pains to inform you, since your eyes keep wandering to the door, it's as if you were expecting someone." At this grey eyes narrowed.

"Che." The Earl scoffed and curtly looked out the window. Phipps continued to drink their host's tea politely.

"Shall we discuss Her Majesty's request?" Charles Phipps: All business, all the time. Grey busied himself with more of that custard choux. So much for the lowest passing grade, but damn it he was hungry. The little Earl nodded, as he looked over the note for what seemed the hundredth time.

"Continue." He motioned with his hand. Grey twitched at his manner, as if they were at _his _command. Phipps did not seem to notice or particularly care on the other hand.

"In accordance with the Queen's request, we would like you to host a banquet, and entertain a guest who is coming to visit England in two weeks time." The tall secretarial officer did not beat around the bush. A single blue eye locked onto them as the boy looked up, frowning as if perplexed by the request. Deep down however, he was immediately suspicious.

"Why me?" He questioned. "I don't think this guest would be at ease if he were being entertained by someone like me, who he's had no prior acquaintance with whatsoever." The neatly folded paper crackled slightly as he handled it. Once again Phipps was more than ready run through the details.

"The guest we would like you to entertain is a certain German personage who happens to be a distant relative of the Queen. It is to be a sneak visit to the country." He explained almost mechanically in his professional mode. "He is interested in the self-proclaimed factory of the world that is England's industry, and in popular literature. He also wishes to mingle with persons of profound scholarship."

'Not the Prince of Wales then, huh?' Grey mentally snickered to himself.

"The Funtom Company you manage is one of England's businesses that is boasted about all over the world. With connections like yours, you should be able to call forth some guests that will please our visitor." Ciel could see it was not a compliment; it was a subtle way of daring him to refuse.

'More like _his _visitor.' Grey quipped to himself. The boy placed the note neatly back into the unsealed envelope.

"Even so…" He slid the envelope lightly back onto the table between them. "Is it alright that the Queen would allow _me_ to entertain him?" Time to push some buttons.

"Do you think it's alright to say that?" Ciel looked over at Earl Grey now, who had taken it upon himself to speak up now. In return he smirked in that rather slimy, contemptible way of his. "The Queen has been having doubts about the Earl since the report of that little 'incident the other day'." The look in the brat's good eye clearly stated that he knew what he was talking about. 'That's right you smug little bastard' He thought, feeling pleased with himself. Still he went on.

"Don't you think, this is a chance to restore your image with this mission?" The dark look in his eyes then abruptly abated and he leaned back against the cushy couch, stretching his arms behind his neck. "Then again… this is really just a request from the Queen to the 'noble' Earl, and not the 'Watchdog'." Ciel frowned at him. As a certain troublesome maid would have put it: Freak.

"Noblesse Oblige." Phipps put forth his two cents. "We would like you to think of it as an obligation to one of those who have it all." The boy Phantomhive was frowning, unconvinced. His dark butler stood stoically to the side, unreadable as ever. Still it was obvious who had won this round. He reached forward and slid the note back toward himself.

"…I understand. I'll take it."

'Lets all take a moment to come to the same conclusion; Earl Grey's life oozes awesome.' The young butler smiled brightly and sat a little straighter.

"By the way, since I'm the overseeing officer its okay if I participate as well right?"

"Yes." Ciel responded blandly. Grey leaned back again casually.

"Oh. We just confirmed the safety of the mansion by the way." He informed as if it were a conversation starter. But Ciel knew better, he was trying to bait him. Still he remained ever the little gentleman and very carefully placed the letter into his jacket.

"The manor's protection is flawless."

"Ah, so it seems there hasn't been any need for a little _increase _is security guards…right?" A part of Ciel really wondered what he was implying but another just wanted him to shut up.

"It can't be helped if our risk factor is increased by uninvited guests." He retorted darkly.

"It's settled then." Phipps broke in, getting to his feet. "We'll be taking our leave. There's no need to see us out." Smirking wryly at his cautious partner, Grey stood up fluidly and sauntered ahead of him to the door. Phipps followed and both looked nearly simultaneously over their shoulders.

"We look forward to seeing you in two weeks time."

The boy watched them leave intently and waited for the parlor door to shut behind them. He sighed once it did so with a 'click'. "Well then, Sebastian." He drew himself up to his feet. "Prepare the invitations at once."

"Yes, sir."

….

"Now, Betty. This is our greenhouse, I have to talk to the Prince and to Sebastian, and I also have to tell Finnian you're here or he'll have a heart attack. Just in case he comes before I'm not back please don't attack him, he isn't prey- ju-…just think of him and the other humans as my cubs." A flustered neko informed, ignoring how weird that sounded to her. Betty would understand it better that way. "Sit tight, I'll get you something good to eat."

_"Very well." _She conceded.

Ivy hurried from the premises to find Finnian. His presence felt like it was somewhere near the entrance so she hurried off in that direction.

….

Coming down the curve of the staircase entrance of the brat's manor, Grey was in fairly high spirits. All had gone down as it was meant to with Ciel Phantomhive, and he'd even helped himself to a snack. His partner Phipps, though he was all business as usual, also seemed visibly satisfied by the visit. Maybe this called for a massive lunch or a few drinks to celebrate. Or not considering how busy they were kept in their line of work. Hm. He stretched his arms behind his neck again contentedly; it was a pretty nice day out.

"The was lots of fun, huh." He broke the silence. "Those servants are really tough." His partner stroked his chin in thought before responding.

"Now that you mention it, was it okay not to repair the door-?…" Both men paused abruptly paused.

"Oh, good afternoon, gentlemen." Ivy greeted pleasantly, genuinely surprised that the queen's butlers were standing in front of her and the gardener. She hadn't expected to see them again so soon. Finnian stared the two down from his firmly rooted place before them. Grey just smiled casually and tilted his head at her.

"Weeelll, she appears from an afternoon on the town. Lunch break away from this dark little slice of boredom they like to call an estate?" He inquired casually, approaching her. The neko wasn't sure how to respond to his sudden presence, but took it in stride.

"Yes and no." She gave an innocent half shrug, but frowned, more interested in knowing his purpose for coming to call. "What brings you to said dark little slice of boredom? I didn't think I'd see you again…at least not so soon."

"Don't get too excited. I'm here for business, just leaving actually." He informed briskly. He nodded with his chin, referring her attention to his tall companion. "My partner, Charles Phipps." It was a simple to the point introduction, typical. Ivy gave the slightest of curtsies. The gardener, who now stood behind her, watched the exchange as if utterly confused.

"Charmed." The taller man bowed at the waist, and placed a kiss on her gloved hand. Ivy decided that she was never going to get used to these sorts of pleasantries. Phipps was a perfect gentleman as were most who had greeted her in such a manner but it felt like such a familiar gesture. Somehow these brits had taken something as personal as a kiss and made it into something meaningless and cold. It just felt a bit strange.

"The pleasure is mine." She smiled effortlessly. She looked back to Grey with a wry sort of grin. "You have my apologies for not being here to entertain you during your visit." It was a light quip; he said the place was boring after all. Ha! Sometimes Ivy almost wished it really were. This house was utterly evil. If only he knew… yet there was something in his demeanor that almost made her think that maybe Grey _did _know. Or maybe a part of him suspected something of a deeper sinister nature to be lurking under the duties of the watchdog.

"Che. We can call it even after next time. Later~." He nodded and walked past her. The neko blinked at this new piece of information.

"Next time, Earl Grey?"

He paused mid-stride and Phipps took it upon himself to explain.

"Earl Phantomhive has a certain…engagement scheduled two weeks from now." There was nothing in his tone that hinted at mockery, it was utterly neutral. Ivy was not at ease by the tone; this meant that he was able to emotionally detach himself from situations. And when you could do that…you could follow _any _kind of order given. Phipps was a dangerous man, just like his partner.

"I'll see you in two weeks then." Grey smirked. Ivy folded her arms.

"They're sending _you_?" She would've thought that the diplomatic Phipps would have better handled such a delicate sounding matter. Grey just raised an eyebrow.

"And why not? Disappointed?"

"Surprised." She promptly corrected. "I didn't think you'd even like the _idea_."

"Not usually." He openly admitted. There was a moment of silence.

"They're going to feed you here aren't they?" The neko flatly inquired.

"We'll see." He licked his lips at the challenge. "Feeding me is not an easy task you know."

Ivy laughed openly. "Well if anybody can do it I'm sure it's Sebastian."

"Challenge accepted." He pointed a finger at her.

"Our apologies for rushing off, however we have a schedule to keep to." Phipps gave another bow. Ivy simply nodded her understanding.

"By the way…" Phipps' eyes became serious and turned over to the unsure, awkward gardener who stood a pace or so behind the young lady. Once ready for confrontation, he was now confounded over the civil behavior between the sword wielding bully and Miss Ivy. When Phipps struck, he was completely unprepared for it. Ivy's sharp eyes quickly locked onto the object, preparing her to deflect, but quickly they fluttered into a look of perplexity.

_ …..String?_

A blur of pink and green thread… on a sewing needle. What the hell? In what seemed like almost a single motion, the taller of the two royal butlers had sewn a rather dainty looking patch in the shape of a pink tulip over the hole in Finnian's straw hat. The boy looked absolutely starry eyed and overjoyed. Phipps didn't remotely seem phased; you'd think carrying pink fabric tulips around in your pockets didn't merit having anyone stare at you. Granted normally Ivy wouldn't have wondered, but it had seemed a bit inconsistent with her first impression of him. Grey almost looked embarrassed.

"Disorder in your clothes… is disorder in your heart, boy." He advised the young gardener, whether he was oblivious to, or just ignoring Grey's eyes boring into his head was anyone's guess. Finni was sputtering and looking back and forth between him and his hat, awestruck at the man's apparently noblest of noble gestures. Oh Finnian, he was never difficult to please, it was almost endearing. Ivy couldn't help but smile fondly at him with a shake of her head. Grey moved to stand beside his partner properly again to get a better look at the apparent handy kit that he was hiding in his coat pockets. Phipps with his arts and crafts.

"What is that?" He stared flatly at the needle and thread still held in his hands. Ivy simply admired his handiwork on the boy's hat. Not bad really, much better than her own sewing definitely. Ivy hated sewing; it was born of evil. As if defending his hobbies Phipps responded in a mildly curt manner.

"I'm a top-class butler who can respond in any emergency."

"Thank you, you've really made his day." She interjected politely. It had been random of him but kind nevertheless. "Say 'thank you' Finni." The boy shaking out of his stupor was more than glad to. He waved his arms, frantically trying to express himself.

The two of them were already walking away when he exclaimed at their backs.

"THANK YOOOOOOUUUUU!"

….

"Have you been following her _all day_?" Cavin tilted his head and asked the fox incredulously after finally returning. Instead of answering right away, the sprite wordlessly stared at him and looked around.

"Where's Jet?"

"On his way."

"We'd better hurry up and start 'planning around' then; after all _he's_ here." He purposely left out the fact that the intended target knew of his presence. Cavin would strangle him with his own hair if he knew. Not to mention be extremely paranoid, and terror stricken the whole time that at any minute the large beast from hell that stood in their way would appear and chew them up before spitting them out. Not an appealing thought to be sure but it took a lot to make 'Shin' really care about that sort of thing when he had his own priorities.

"Due to our secrecy policies, Jet realized we would need a plan to get her out in the open…alone. You see, I told him that he would have to consider the fact that Iv- she would instantly sense us closing in on her location. So if we move in while she's still inside she would hightail it into the butler's apron strings and our cover would be royally screwed." At Cavin's wording, Shin's eyebrows furrowed. Turning to him finally he tilted his head.

"Our cover? Honestly that would be the least of our problems if the beast were to bare his fangs at us." At this statement, Cavin gave a deep sort of chuckle that made the kitsune frown deeper.

"Cavin… he doesn't know does he?" This much was obvious. Cavin just folded his arms from where he sat perched beside the sprite. A smug look smartly painted across his face.

"Everything is basically in place in my mind. All we need is a way to draw her out on her own. Today would have been opportune…but I wasn't here and we would have had no way to occupy our obstacles with each other." A flash of understanding crossed the kitsune's face as his 'associate's' words sunk in. He shifted his weight fluidly to look at him better.

"You plan to get out in the middle of a diversion."

"Everyone loves a good old fashion red herring technique." Cavin just shrugged.

"Certainly but how will you draw her out? She's a lot more clever than you give her credit for."

"That's what Jet has unwisely assigned me to come up with. The closer he gets to his quarry the more careless he's becoming in his haste. I'll steal victory right out from under him and through this secure my family's rightful name."

"So she needs to be alive for this to be possible."

"And kicking."

"Very well… then for the time being I suppose we have the same interests as to how this venture will play out."

"C'mon clever little fox. Brain storm with me."

….

"I'm in trouble again, aren't I?" Ivy sat meekly with her hands clasped in her lap and her head lowered slightly. Her ears drew back as she noted the stare of disapproval on her supervisor's face. She had already seen this coming when she hurried off with Agni this morning, but a promise was a promise. The butler folded his arms.

"Trouble you say? You don't know the half of it, a part of me is almost capable of throttling you right now." He stated rather frankly. Ivy was really not sure whether he meant that or not, but she'd rather not find out. She winced and gave him a downcast expression. "What on earth possessed you this morning to think running off by yourself without telling me was good idea? What if something had happened and I couldn't get to you? You could have very easily been snatched off of the streets and I wouldn't have known a thing until it would have been too late."

"I wasn't alone…" She feebly defended smoothing out her apron dejectedly. This is how it was; she was the child and he was the man. Sebastian just gave her a flat unimpressed stare and his jaw tensed. Ivy decided that maybe she should just not talk. Being treated like this was not something she would normally tolerate, but he was right this time and there was no reasoning around it anyway. Ivy knew when she needed to be compliant and when to shut up just as well as she knew when it was appropriate to respond violently. Instead she slid off of the counter where she sat, and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

"I…yes and no. I'm_…I'm sorry, Sebastian. I knew better_." Her black little head was lowered slightly. "But I promise it couldn't be helped…and I couldn't be sure you or the young master would approve of such a pointless side venture. Mostly the young master, so rather than burden you I-" She swallowed hard to stifle the sudden gasp, as he was instantly eye-to-eye with her not even inches from her face.

"_Burden _me? It would have been much more troublesome to have to fruitlessly chase after you in the event that you were spirited away by yo-"

"I know!" She nodded trying to get on with her explanation. Staring for a moment at her, his eyes made Ivy wondered what it was he was thinking. He let out a sigh; warm air was exhaled against her face.

"Where in the ninth circle did you have to go that was so important?"

"I was…keeping a promise to someone."

"**Where**… were you?" He emphasized adamantly. Ivy really did not want to tell him how far she had gone or he would probably have a conniption fit. However if she didn't tell him, Agni probably would, and if Agni didn't do it first, Soma would most DEFINITELY tell him.

"I convinced Prince Soma to loan me Agni again…we went to…" She trailed off and her eyes met his stern ones. He raised an eyebrow and she moistened her lips slightly.

"To?"

"…Canterbury." She said it quickly, like ripping off a bandage.

"_What?_"

"I told you it couldn't be helped!" She held out her hands pleadingly. "Please…"

He was pinching the upper bridge of his nose. "Miss Ivy…what sort of promise could be so important that you would make such a risk?"

"Is Ciel angry-?"

"Miss Ivy, please do not stray off topic while we're having a discussion."

She instantly pursed her lips into a line. The neko loathed being interrupted. "…Right. Promise. I…" Noting his expression she sighed, there was really no other option but honesty, besides everything had been set in motion with no expense to the young master. Her shoulders still slumped further. Betty was _not_ going to be happy with her. "I can show you better than I can tell you. Come with me." She had expected him to be angry, but she hadn't been sure what he would do. Words were failing her, but so far she had survived right?

He followed her outside wordlessly, and despite his cross mood Ivy felt secure within the far-reaching touch of his aura. It seemed to be fluctuating between expanding and shrinking; similar to the way an irritated cat's tail thumps and twitches, or the way a bird's feathers raise and lower when they get ruffled. Where Ivy stood well within its boundary, however, the movements were smooth and steady like the tide at its most lethargic moments. She realized that she'd never actually wandered the gardens by herself at night. It was like a different place. There was no trace of the kitsune anywhere so he was probably out of her range or he'd already passed through.

The silence was unbearable, she'd half expected him to make a comment about where she was leading him, but perhaps he was too sour right now. She could certainly feel his eyes boring into the back of her head after all. Approaching the greenhouse, it was so quiet that nobody would have suspected what beast was being stored inside the inviting little structure. The neko had felt a bit guilty to have to leave her there until she could be taken to Bengal but it was certainly better there than in her cramped old cage. Good thing she'd been fed already.

"Just so you know, I my choice of actions aren't going to cause any unnecessary inconvenience or expenses to, the young master." She informed pausing briefly at the entrance. "This is a matter concerning the Prince's efforts." Sebastian seemed to be listening by the quirk of his eyebrow. Before she opened the door however, Ivy looked at him one more time. "And no creepiness, I _**mean **_it." This sudden demand seemed to peak his interest in whatever it was she was ready to show him. Hearing a low menacing rumble of a noise from within, Ivy groaned and swiped a hand over her face.

"Here we go…" Pushing open the entrance, she kept a neutral expression. That is until Betty rushed the butler in a blur of stripes, intent apparently on ending that black, ear molesting, motherfucker who got _her_ in trouble because of _his_ rudeness. Ivy's eyes popped only momentarily, and Sebastian who looked utterly surprised, didn't have too much trouble handling the tiger. One thing was for certain; he was probably not angry anymore. This was absurd. He looked at her pointedly unsure whether to scold or praise.

"It's no use, Betty." She called, standing over the two. "Trust me, I've tried my darnedest." The beast gave up and backed away at her words with her ears still back and furious, defensive snarl on her face. She back up until her side was nudging against Ivy's side, teeth still bared and back arched.

_"Your mate is vile; he's wretchedness incarnate."_ The tigress practically hissed.

Ivy folded her arms and huffed in agreement. "Preaching to choir, Betty-…Wait _**what?**_" She suddenly jerked to look at her. Was fate conspiring against her? What did she just call him? The neko was beyond glad that the pleased demon, regaining his footing could not understand cat speak. Still at her reaction he tilted his head.

"No no no, Betty. You've got it all wrong-"

"What did she say?" His tone was utterly innocent, which was a dead give away to Ivy. She also did her best to ignore the tint in his cheeks.

"Nothing! Shut up!" The half-breed pointed a finger at him. The demon grinned slightly and cleared his throat before examining the pair before him. His gaze looked almost calculating, trying to decide his next act. Ivy decided that if she wanted to explain, now would be best. Awkwardly curling a strand of her hair she crouched beside Betty to stroke her soft pelt soothingly, hoping she would mellow out at least to the point of being non-homicidal. "I said that I would help her, when I was asking her for information back in the circus. I couldn't leave her in that wretched cage, you saw it, Sebastian you must know. I convinced Prince Soma to pay for her passage back to Bengal, to live freely on his father's spacious reserves." Her shoulders squared.

"Ciel doesn't even have to know about it, as it will cost him no expenses." She moved to sit in one of the garden chairs behind her. Betty followed, not wanting to be closer to Sebastian than necessary, so she placed herself at Ivy's feet. What an enchanting pair they made.

"He will no doubt ask what you were doing."

"Then I'll tell him myself, but please don't bring it up yourself." She bit her lip. "No harm has been done. Besides, look at that face, you like her don't you?" The half-breed girl hugged the furry giant cat with a pout on her face, large eyes looking larger if possible. The butler just sighed and shook his head.

"Really, what am I to do with you?"

"Are you still angry?" She awkwardly smoothed out her skirts.

"I will tell the young master what happened if he asks."

"So…he is angry too right?" She repeated her question from before. Sebastian paced casually.

"He is irritated. It is likely he will want to know about today as soon as possible." Then the tall dashing servant turned to look directly at her once again. "He's also decided that you'll have to make it up to him in two weeks time."

"How do you mean?" Her tone was suddenly suspicious. Ciel could be very vindictive after all.

"The Queen has ordered that the young master, host a gathering for a personal guest of hers. He is a distant relative from Germany that she wants him to entertain." He informed curtly in all business mode. Green eyes frowned at this new piece of information tinkering with it in her mind.

"That seems rather out of the Watchdog's duty range…what is she up to?"

"No doubt it's one of her mild admonishments. Nothing for you to strain your pretty brow over, little one."

"It seems it is in fact." She glared. "If it has anything to do with what I'll be doing in two weeks after all." Betty, sensing her agitation began to nuzzle her shoulder, and Ivy draped her arms about her large shoulders, enjoying her fur. "What exactly is it that I'm going to do?" She murmured, missing how he smiled at the two of them.

"It's nothing that will be too unpleasant for you." He suddenly sounded almost cynical. "We have a plan on how to handle it, you need not worry yourself over anything, all you'll be doing is handling our only obstacle." Tapping her foot in aggravation she almost hissed.

"Don't keep me in suspense, you idiot. Just tell me what I have to do."

"You'll be entertaining, Earl Grey."

"….Grey's coming?" She gazed at him. He frowned down at her. Betty growled at him and rested her chin on Ivy's lap. "What on earth could I possibly do to keep him occupied? I hope you don't think I-"

"Miss Ivy, you are not a seductress."

"Coming from you would that be a compliment or an insult?" _Whore, whore, whore, whore, WHORE!_

"I am simply clarifying that we only want you to be your usual beguiling, charming, self. It seems seducing him is not necessary, as he seems to be fond of you regardless. Just allow him to bask in your glow, laugh at his boorish wit, and redirect his attention when you can."

"If he's hell bent on causing disruption and foiling you two every step of the way, there will be very little I could do to stop him without downright locking him in the broom closet or something."

"As much as we would enjoy that, it is not necessary. You will be able to buy us time; that is all we need. Every second counts after all, time is of the essence."

"Time is your forte, Sebastian." She smiled teasingly.

"More than you might realize." He smirked. "Having extra hands is never unwelcome in any endeavor then again." Ivy moved to stand but noted that Betty had dozed off with her head in her lap. With sigh she relented.

"Very well." She stroked the striped fur on her head. "I suppose I'll have to speak to Ciel."

"And you'll need an evening gown." Now Ivy perked at his words.

"Why?" She demanded, with a hard gaze.

"This will be an overnight stay."

"I beg your _**pardon**_?"

"What? I thought you liked the Earl." He gave a cynical sort of smile.

"Grey is likeable, but he's quite obviously a pill. How am I supposed to spend all of this time keeping his attention without him realizing it?"

"I get the feeling that he would be _expecting_ it." Sebastian clarified. Ivy wrinkled her nose as if not quite understanding.

"So what's the point?"

"He will likely try to make use of you somehow, but you and I both know that manipulation would be impossible to perform on a clever fortress of a girl like yourself. Instead you will become another obstacle in whatever endeavor he may attempt."

"I see." She muttered dryly. "Fine. Whatever. Over freaking night stay it is, not like I have any choice regardless." Her shoulder shrugged. Betty was purring in deep cat like rumbles and Ivy could not help her smile. Before she could react to his looming presence he spoke.

"I'm glad you approve so whole heartedly." He drawled in a sarcastic tone. His breath raised the hairs on the nape of her neck as she felt the odd friction of a thin chain sliding against the column of her throat. She flinched just as he fastened the clasp and looked down at what he was doing. Eyebrows furrowed before instantly softening in surprise upon her recognition of the item now hanging around her neck.

Clutching the egg, she swiftly looked up at him with her lips parted, ready to question until a gloved finger covered her mouth.

"Not a word. I may change my mind. Perhaps it will suffice as a conversation starter."

Ivy pursed her lips and pushed his arm away, gazing at him in thought. "I won't be living in a manor forever you know. Items like this will come in handy if I find myself in great need. Besides, its such a pretty ornament." She recited curtly. "Oh don't give me that flat stare! Come sit down." She patted the other chair on Betty's left side. "Maybe she'll get used to your presence for the most part after a bit of exposure." The demon sighed.

"That would be lovely but I doubt it really matters as she wont be here very long." He lamented and Ivy rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to look so tragic. Really its creepy." He had too much of a fixation on this tiger. When he sat down however, all of his attention was fastened on her. Reddish rust eyes watched her from behind the dark fan of eyelashes as if he were assessing her. She squirmed uncomfortably. "Your social skills need a lot of honing, you know. How long have you served Ciel exactly?"

"Two years, though at times it seems interminable." The answer was so flat and humorless that Ivy laughed a bit. He was serious.

"Oh it can't be so dreadful. As long as you've lived I'm sure he is a walk in the park compared to others you've contracted. Yes he's a huge brat but serving him can't be **complete** indisputable mortification. Isn't there anything about this contract that you like?" She tilted her head curiously. He just grinned at her and tilted his own head.

"It does come with its redeeming moments and…certain enticing…_attributes_."

She rolled her eyes, hiding the fact that she felt rather naked suddenly. "I don't want to know." Her hand waved it off.

"Perhaps not." He admitted, his gaze flitting down to the slumbering tiger. "You seem to suit each other well." The neko just scoffed gently in response, resting her hand on the large cat's head.

"Wasted flattery, but I'm guessing you really mean that as a compliment so I'll take it that way."

"How did you manage to get her off of the performer's hands free of charge?" He drawled curiously. Now Ivy grinned with a high sense of achievement, biting her lip slightly.

"It was quite simple actually. You can just ask Agni. You see the keeper and I made a wager…"

….

_**Flashback:**_

Jet recalled that his earliest memories were that of an over-achieving mother and the hard disapproving gaze of his father. He disliked referring to him as his father but alas he had no choice on that matter. One doesn't choose one's own sire. He had been self-confident enough as a child, his mother had seen to that. His father, however, seemed not to be particularly concerned about his son's achievements; always lurking about, scheming new ways to earn prestige that would outweigh the balance between they and the Ashcroft name. Never did he acknowledge any hopes in the boy. He was far too busy hating his female rival in that other family. An obsession with this competition had consumed him, they could never defeat them as long as they still held that sword.

Still he had the deep-rooted assurance that he was good enough to be noticed and praised, even if his father didn't see it. In fact if anybody hinted otherwise or made him think they believed otherwise, he would make them pay dearly. Nothing got in his way and nothing could permanently obstruct his own sense of superiority, or stifle the intoxicating high that came with having that sort of power.

Until that _thing _grew older. Jet had never had any particular concerns about the affairs of his family's rival. His father on the other hand had become obsessed once Salena had been chosen as the next wielder of Sirocco. He tried all sorts of methods to get that weapon under the control of Bercarius but nothing seemed to ever quite go his way. His most recent attempt had involved attempting to make her his mate, to he and his mother's outrage, but of course Salena wanted no part of it. In fact she had added insult to injury when the greatest object of her fascination had been a _human _…and one of the worst sort as well. As he understood it, the two of them created a dreadful thing…a Halfling. She was born and Salena made a strong resolve that she would not be destroyed. His father had gone ballistic.

Worst still, this creature grew to believe that she had the right to hold space just because of whom her mother was. Jet grew to hate her. That little beast that refused to acknowledge him, and he wanted to show her what her place was. It became almost his mission in life. Everyone should know his or her place after all. Yet no matter how he attempted to intimidate her, she never opened her mouth to make a single reply, she simply gave him that blank unfeeling stare. There was something in her resolve every time he saw her training among full breed children fueled his fury and hatred. How dare she act like she was more worthy to be here than he was. He was Jet of Bercarius, the first son of a mighty neko clan! He vowed that one day, he would snuff out that fire in her gaze and she _would _speak when he demanded it!

Then the day struck that Salena broke the dam in his patience. She had decided that this _Halfling_ would be the next to bear Sirocco. Nobody was to know that; but he figured it out by the way a devastated and hurt Cavin of Ashcroft destroyed his father's garden, raging and screaming his hatred for his sire's sister and the _growth _she carried around with her. Jet had chuckled at his pain but regardless; he brought the information to his mother, who in turn made to speak to his father. Who knows what sort of intrigues they were whispering among themselves.

In the end he found himself perched a top a tree several days later, observing the area as he polished a dagger that he carried. There was nothing of interest to keep his attention that day so instead of training he loitered in solitude. That is until he heard a very familiar boy's bellow and his ears perked up. Something else had caused Cavin to shout? He grinned excitedly, wondering what he might observe if he managed to just get closer, but that would be impossible as it would put him in range of his 'sense'. Instead he swung down off the branch, just in time for a blur of colors and full black hair to collide with him. He'd caught her tightly by the shoulders, grinning down with a manic sort of grin. Her eyes looked larger than usual if that were possible, staring up at him, frozen in fear.

How rare! No mother and no annoying, meddlesome errand runners to watch her.

"Oh look! It's my lucky day…I was starting to get **bored**." He darkly intoned, hoisting her off by one arm before anyone could spot him.

_**End Flashback**_

Jet had come so close that day to giving his father a massive opportunity. Fate would not be so gracious unfortunately. His fist clenched at the memory. No matter if she got away then, now it would be different. He would win this time…yes.

* * *

Author's Note: Hope this was a bit more enlightening and enjoyable. Read and Review now as I go back to edit plot holes and grammatical mistakes in other chapters that I missed. I'm looking forward to writing Jet meets Sebby. Buahahahahaha! It should be interesting no? I had a whole bunch of things to say about this chapter but I suddenly can't remember anything so if you're confused or anything let me know. Once again I pride myself on writing interaction so let me know what you think. I like to hear how others perceive characters after all. xD Ciao! Thanks for all the support guys. I LOVE YOU ALLLL!


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